Infection
by SunshineSong
Summary: Despairing paramedic Maka Albarn is trapped. The city is under quarantine. The infection, the cause of it all, has twisted into something sinister. Something seemingly unstoppable. AU! MXS.
1. Chapter 1

**Something new! XD **

**Though I am forewarning this may end up a little bit neglected as I focus on 'High Seas and Golden Skies'. **

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN SOUL EATER!**

**Please enjoy :D**

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><p><em>One<em>

So much blood. Screaming and shouting everywhere. She pressed her hands to the wound to try and stop the blood flow but it bubbled out from beneath her fingertips. The knife had sliced through an artery and if she didn't act quickly this person would bleed out in moments.

"You!" She shouted, her voice cracked like a whip through the gunfire, a dark-haired man cowering behind a car turned his head to look at her with wide eyes. "I need your help, come here!" He looked terrified and she could see the beginnings of a refusal. "For Christ's sake get over here!"

The man waffled for a moment and then hurried over to her, crouched down as he darted out into the street where she hovered over the stranger with a knife wound. The man licked his dry cracked lips, he was dirty, covered in soot and dirt. Then again almost everyone was. She frowned that he wasn't wearing a mask. It wasn't safe to go without it, the risk of infection skyrocketed without one. Especially in this part of town.

"I need you press down on the wound so I can get a clamp for the artery." Another round of gunfire went off and the man skittered and ducked, covering his head. She remained where she was still as a stone. _Bloody bastards can fire all they want. _Hesitantly the man reached forward with dirty hands. Grimacing she dug into her kit with one hand and tossed a pair of gloves at him. He eyed her but put them on. "The last thing we need is for her wound to get infected, not with the shortage of penicillin right now."

Her forced assistant reached forward with gloved hands and pressed down on the wound. The woman moaned and coughed a little, blood flecking her lips.

"Hold on ma'am you're going to be okay I promise. Stay with me." Her bright green eyes flicked up to meet the man's terrified brown ones. "You're doing good, keep that that pressure." He nodded nervously.

Working quickly she dug into her kit and pulled out a clamp. Gently she pulled the frightened man's hands away from the woman's chest to place a clamp over the artery. Her patient groaned and she wanted to sing when the blood flow slowed to an almost stop, this she could manage.

She reached forward, a bloody gloved hand pinched the woman's chin softly to turn her face to look at her. "I'm going to move you to a safer location. I need you focus right now ma'am, stay awake." The woman's eyes rolled back in her head and she patted her cheek roughly to keep her attention. "Talk to me ma'am, what's your name?"

"Ch-Ch-" she gasped. "Charlene."

"Charlene, do you have any family?" She nodded weakly.

"My-my husband is here…an-and I have children."

"Where are they?"

"I-I lost my husband when the fighting start-started."

"Where are your children?"

"They-they made it out of the zone…they're with their grandparents."

"Good…good. You've got to focus on staying awake and alive. I'm going to help you and when this is all over you're going to see your kids again Charlene." Tears streaked through the blood and dirt on the woman's face but she nodded as she shook with pain.

Sitting up into a crouch she pulled the mouthpiece to the radio she had off her belt. "Black Star?" she barked. There was static on the other end but a familiar voice floated through.

"Maka, where the fuck are you?"

"I'm on the corner of 16th and 32nd, I've got a knife wound victim and we need to move her to the clinic."

"16th and 32nd, that place is a god damn war zone Maka, how the hell did you get there?"

"Oh, I was taking a walk and decided to stroll through gang territory you know?" she growled. "Fuck, Black Star just get down here!"

"The streets are jammed up, people abandoning cars all over the place."

"Turn on the siren then, drive on sidewalk, I don't care just get here!"

"I need you to meet me halfway or something, I can't just drive through a gun fight." Maka cursed loudly.

"I'll meet you at the corner of 29th, just be there." She slammed the mouth piece back onto her belt in frustration.

Maka eyed her assistant who was sitting with wide eyes beside Charlene. He was holding her hand and talking quietly to her. She pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to think of way to move Charlene without killing her. This would not be an easy task. Her eyes fell on a broken off car door a little ways down the street. The main issue being it was in the direct line of fire. She tapped her helper on the shoulder.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Jeff." He said quietly. She looked him in the eye.

"I'm Maka. I need to move Charlene to the corner of 29th Jeff, it's a good two blocks from here. I'm going to try to get that car door to serve as a stretcher. If something happens to me I need you to get Charlene there. There'll be an ambulance waiting, the driver goes by Black Star. Tell him I sent you. And give him this." She handed him a red strip of fabric she'd tied around the arm of her jacket. Jeff held it tightly and nodded.

Taking a deep breath Maka rushed out, ducking behind a car. She heard a bullet ping off of the cars hood. It was decrepit and the car creaked as she leaned up against it. It was abandoned like most of the cars in the streets now, the gas tank was open, it had likely been siphoned out like all the others. Heart pounding she dove forward behind a mailbox. She wasn't far from it now, she just had to dart out into the street and drag it back. She tried to make it seem simple in her head. Tried to not think of what a target she would make. Hopefully the opposing gun-toting idiots wouldn't want to waist their bullets on her.

Deciding she was as ready for this as she would ever be she dashed out into the street, keeping low as she went. She gasped when she felt a blast of air pass her, realizing it was a bullet whizzing by. She gripped the edges of the car door and clipped a couple of bungee cables she'd brought with her to it. Hauling them over her shoulder she rushed back to the safety behind the mailbox, the car door skidding across the road behind her.

The door was heavy but she knew she shouldn't push her luck and stop for a breath. She needed to get back to Charlene and Jeff immediately. Feet pounding down the sidewalk she froze when a man leapt out in front of her. His eyes were wild above his dirty cloth mask.

"My wife!" he shouted over the gunfire. "Please have you seen my wife!"

"Is her name Charlene?" she asked. The man looked both relieved and horrified when he realized she was a paramedic and her hands were covered in blood. "She's alive," she told him immediately to alleviate his horror. "But she is seriously hurt, come with me." He nodded and they started off down the sidewalk to where Charlene lay with Jeff comforting her.

Charlene's husband dropped to his knees beside her, crooning and weeping about how worried he'd been and how glad he was he'd found her. Charlene looked a little less upset though the pain she was experiencing was still evident.

Maka crouched beside Jeff and patted him on the shoulder. "You did well. Thank you. Most people wouldn't have had the guts to stay." She told him. "You can go if you'd like we should be alright from here." Jeff looked at her and handed the red band of fabric back which Maka quickly retied around the arm of her jacket.

"I don't want to go." Jeff said suddenly. Maka's eyebrows raised. "Let me come with you."

"Are you sure?" He nodded.

"I don't have anyone in the city. I'm alone here. Let me come to the clinic. I-I can help." Not wanting to argue she nodded sharply and helped Charlene's husband get her onto the car door. She whimpered a little as they moved her but was keeping a very brave face.

They started off down the street in their little procession. Jeff jogged ahead of them while Maka dragged the car door behind her. She had insisted on being the one as it had to be done very carefully, she didn't want it to jostle or bounce too much. Charlene's husband, who Maka had learned was named Paul, jogged alongside the car door, talking to his wife as soothingly as he could.

The sounds of gunfire and screams faded a little as they distanced themselves from the fight. Maka breathed a sigh of relief as the ambulance came into sight. Black Star was outside the vehicle waiting, his shock of blue hair a beacon in the dreary streets. She'd told him countless times it made him a target but he refused to change it.

Her short companion bounded out to meet them, taking the cords Maka was using to pull the car door from her. She wiped sweat from her brow and left a streak through the grime. Black Star brought it the rest of the way and Maka hurried to throw open the ambulance's doors. The blue-haired paramedic had taken out the stretcher in preparation. On a count of three they moved Charlene onto it and then lifted her into the back of the ambulance.

Paul clambered in after her and Maka leapt in as well. Jeff hovered near by. "Ride in the front with Black Star." She told him. Black Star wrinkled his nose at her in distaste but she shot him a look. "Just take him with you in the front, I'll explain later." She snapped. With a shrug he closed the doors and got in the front. Moments later the ambulance jolted forward as it took off down the street towards the clinic. A part of her trembled with fury and helplessness as not being able to go back to the scene and help more people. Because there was always more people.

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><p>"You try talking to her, she won't listen to me; she keeps insisting on going out again. She hasn't slept. Christ <em>I <em>haven't slept because of her."

Black Star had tried on multiple occasions to get her to stop helping patients and take a break, go home, sleep, something. Maka refused every time.

After they had arrived and taken care of Charlene she'd bounded out again after getting news of a car exploding on center street. Some psycho had lit it on fire. Black Star being her current driver and partner had had to go with her of course. They got along well enough to not kill each other but their partnership was a strained one that had occurred more out of chance than choice.

Tsubaki had shown up after taking a well deserved day off. Not that a day off was really worth much in the hell hole of a city they were living in. The moment she'd entered the clinic she had seen Maka, tending to a little girl who was coughing fitfully. Maka had been there the day before when Tsubaki had left and when she asked Black Star about her still being there he'd told her to go talk to her.

The dark-haired doctor approached cautiously, overhearing Maka's conversation with the little girl.

"Where's your Mom and Dad sweetie?" She asked kindly as she shone a little light into the girls ears and eyes. The little girl was a redhead with a mop of tangled curls. Maka checked down her throat with the little light and a tongue depressor. The girl coughed again before answering.

"Mommy is sick," the little girl said in a tiny voice. "Daddy isn't here." Outside the city was likely what that meant.

"Where is your Mommy? Why isn't she here?"

"She was scared she was going to make me sick too so she brought me here." Maka's brow puckered and Tsubaki knew she was frowning beneath her mask. Maka patted the little girl and gave her some cough drops before putting a mask on her as well and setting her in a bed.

The blonde stood with her hands on her hips and closed her eyes for a moment. "You're dead on your feet." She jumped a little and her eyes shot open, realizing it was Tsubaki, she sighed.

"I'm fine." She gestured to the little girl who had laid down on the bed and was clutching a dirty teddy bear to her chest. "That poor thing. I don't have the heart to turn her away, she's the third one to come in in her situation this week."

"Is she infected?" Tsubaki asked. Maka shook her head.

"Just a cold, she doesn't have any of the infection's symptoms. Though from the sounds of it her mother is likely infected. Her Dad is outside the quarantine zone."

"Patti will take her won't she?" Maka rubbed her eyes tiredly.

"She always does, but I hate pawning them off on her like that. She's got too many to look after as it is at this point. She can hardly feed them."

"Someone told me there's going to be a supply drop soon." Tsubaki said with a hopeful tone. Maka grimaced.

"Yeah and the rest of world still thinks everything's sunshine and roses here. I don't trust anything I hear anymore." Maka moved towards another patient asleep in a cot, she checked vitals delicately trying not to wake them, Tsubaki trailed behind her like a shadow.

"You need to go home and rest Maka, you need to sleep. You're no good to anyone if your delirious."

"I'm doing just fine thanks." She scribbled something down on a clipboard.

"Have you talked to Soul?" Tsubaki asked, trying a different tactic. Maka went stiff, her expression hard.

"No. I haven't."

"He's been asking about you." Tsubaki said softly. She could see the pain behind Maka's front of not caring.

"Let him ask all he wants. Now, if you don't mind, I've got to go." She put down the clipboard she'd been holding and started towards the door, grabbing her field kit as she went.

"Where are you going Maka?" Tsubaki called after her. "It'll be dark soon and I sent Black Star home." Maka turned with her jaw clenched. She put her kit down a little too hard in frustration.

"I'm going home then I guess, I'll be back in a few hours. Radio me if you need me sooner." She said stiffly. Turning on heel she exited the clinic leaving her friend behind with a sad expression.

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><p>Maka unlocked the door to her lonely apartment with a frown. Most of the residences had been abandoned shortly before the quarantine had gone up. Only one other tenant still lived in the building, a crazy old widow who had refused to go no matter how much her children had begged.<p>

She closed the door behind her and dead bolted it. The apartment was dark, she flicked on the lights but they were dim. The natural light the wide windows had once provided was snuffed out. She'd boarded them up for safety reasons when this mess had began.

Not having been home in weeks there was a fine layer of dust on the front of the TV and most other things. With a grimace she prepared herself for the smell and she opened the fridge, empty except for left over Chinese food cartons that had definitely gone bad by now. She closed the fridge and frowned at the picture posted on it with a magnet for Randy's Dry Cleaning service. It was a picture of her and Soul from a year ago. A picture Liz had captured sneakily of the two of them stealing a kiss during as picnic in the park. She removed the photo and studied it for a moment before turning it face down and putting it back on the fridge.

Going to the cupboard she managed to find a near empty box of crackers to eat. As she passed her answering machine on the way to the couch she saw a light flashing and a glowing red number eleven indicating how many unchecked messages she had. She ignored it and turned on the TV, the local news was on. Truthfully it was the only thing that was on ever now, that and the occasional updates from the national news but it was full of lies and only succeeded in making Maka angrier than she already was.

She smiled a little when she saw a familiar blonde haired friend on the television set.

_`This is channel 7 news reporter Elizabeth Thompson with your evening update.` _She was standing outside an abandoned boarded up news stand, looking clean and in order as usual. The end of the world was no reason not to look fabulous Liz always said. _`According to the authorities there is to be a food and medical supply drop within the next three days time. We have yet to hear confirmation of this.` _Maka tuned out a little as Liz rattled off different events that had occurred that day, all of which Maka was already aware.

_`In other news the barrier around the infected area has expanded into 48__th__ street. The police are doing all they can to keep the area blocked off and barricaded but earlier this evening they were pushed back after a brutal attack-` _Maka switched off the TV and her heart clenched. She stood and went to the phone, picking it up to dial a number she knew off by heart. She hesitated. She put the phone down. He was fine she was sure. He could take care of himself. No need to get herself worked up over something she was imagining.

Trembling with her desire to call she pulled herself away from phone and went to her small room. She fell onto the bed and closed her eyes with her hand on his pillow. Feeling his absence more so now that she wasn't distracting herself with work.

This was her world now. This hell. This city. The infection had started small, just a few people sick. But it had morphed into a epidemic and the government decided something needed to be done. With the infection only seeming to be within the city and the city being on an island they had put up a quarantine zone. Cut them off from the rest of the world. Nobody got in and nobody got out. It had been so abrupt, happening literally overnight.

She remembered seeing the panic in people's faces when she and Soul had found out what happened. That morning the government had announced the quarantine officially.

Soul had wanted to get her out. He'd found the last way out of the city, it wouldn't be available long. Tried to trick her, then to force her to leave while he stayed. He'd said too many cops had bailed, he couldn't leave the city short another with all the looting and madness that had started. A fight between them had ensued, Maka angry he would try to fool her, angry he would say such a thing, shouting about how she couldn't leave and for the same reasons as him; being one of the few Doctors and Paramedics left. Angry he'd wanted her to go without him. Angry he hadn't taken the chance and left himself. Angry at the whole situation. Angry he wasn't safe.

The fight had resulted in a break up. One that Maka regretted deeply but was too proud to admit it and apologize. So for the past two months they had been apart. He'd left the apartment and was living with his brother last she'd heard in another district of the city, closer to the infected zone where he usually worked.

Only a few weeks into the quarantine the infection had evolved. It developed into something so much worse, something nightmarish that people didn't rightly understand still. People started out just sick but then the sickness changed, the people changed. They forgot who they were. Became savage, monstrous. Attacked anyone who wasn't also infected like them. Like zombies but eerily intelligent and coherent.

And so another quarantine zone had gone up. A quarantine within the quarantine. They'd constructed a barricade through part of the city to block off the infected. Though the infected didn't completely take this lying down and often they tried to fight their way past. Only the remaining police and the few brave citizens who volunteered to help keeping them back.

Maka hugged Soul's pillow to her chest and breathed in his scent. A sort of homesickness filling her as strange it sounded. The apartment wasn't home anymore without him.

It didn't take long before she was asleep. Tsubaki had been right when she'd told her she was dead on her feet.

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><p><strong>Ta Daaa. XD<strong>

** Woo, look at me go. Posted the final three Chapters of 'Is this Sound Okay.' Posting this new story. And I will be updating 'HSGS' in the next couple of days, definitely will update before the weekend is over. **

**All these updates are my apology for taking 23081204779.29128 years to update! XD **

**Anyways. As forewarned, this may be a little bit neglected though I will try to update as often as I can. I am a busy little bee lately and am doing my best to make time for writing :) **

**And yes. This is a zombie-Esq fic. The zombies are not like traditional ones, I've twisted them a bit, which you will see more of later.**

**Reviewreviewreview.**

**-Song :3**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello!**

**Hooray, finally! Another Chapter. As I warned this has been neglected and will probably continue to be as I'm focusing on 'HSGS' (Which I hope to update again soon as well) **

**But anyways, please enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN SOUL EATER**

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><p><em>Two:<em>

"Fuck!" Black Star spat as a bullet swished past, nicking his jacket. Before Maka could check if he'd been struck he waved her away. "I'm fine, as if a puny bullet could hurt someone as godly as myself," he told her. "Besides it just nicked my jacket. Get a move on would ya, you're so slow!"

The two paramedics dashed out towards the middle of the square. A group of crates with red flashing lights was their destination. A supply drop had been made finally. The rumour had gone on for two days before it actually occurred. It never occurred often enough, despite what the national news told everyone outside the quarantine zone.

Naturally, the supply drops were fought over. Especially with the rampant gang activity due to the shortage of cops to keep the peace.

A sizable man with a skull faced bandanna across his face stepped out in front of them, blocking their way. A gun strapped to his back and his hood pulled up to hide his eyes he proceeded to try and stop them from reaching the crates. The gang, known as the Skull Crusher's, was currently trying to take possession of the supply drop. They would hoard it to themselves and that just wouldn't do.

Black Star lashed out swiftly, striking the Skull Crusher in the gut. The man doubled over with a groan but whirled while throwing a sloppy right hook. Maka didn't stop running. Black Star was a fighter. He'd been a scrapper for as long as she'd known him, which happened to be a long time. She knew he could handle himself and they _needed _the medicine, not to mention the food and likely whatever else was in those crates.

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><p>Soul ducked out from around from the car he was behind to fire at one of the gang members. When they'd gotten wind of the supply drop for today he'd been reassigned from the infection line to come and assist with the situation, try and maintain some control. That plan seemed to be failing miserably. There were too few of them who were spread too thin to even dream of overpowering or properly suppressing the crime going on in this city.<p>

A flash of ashy blonde hair and a dark EMT uniform blurred past. His stomach dropped. He hadn't seen her in a month but he could never mistake her. What was she doing running out into the line of fire?

"Fucking hell what is she _doing?_" he snarled. Soul wanted to be sick when Black Star, who he had realized was running with her, got held up by one of the gang members.

He watched her continue towards the crates without so much as a flinch despite the deadly rain of bullets cascading back and forth around her. It was incredible how fast that girl could run when she needed to. She bolted around a Skull Crusher trying to make a grab for her. The collection of gang members attempting to take all the supplies apparently hadn't seen her coming. Or they had and had been too bewildered by her straight forward approach to do anything about it.

What did she expect to do once she reached the crates? The gang was gathered too close to them, she wouldn't be able to drag them back by herself. He swore loudly and motioned for his brothers in blue to move forward. They had to overtake control of the supply's now before something happened to Maka.

Something rattled across the pavement. _A grenade. _Maka hadn't noticed, she was still rushing forward into danger. With a sharp curse he stood and ran towards her. "Where the _fuck _did they get grenades?" he shouted more to himself than anything.

Her head whipped to the side when she spotted him coming towards her, she slowed her run her expression one of disbelief. He collided into her, shoving them both down behind a car in the exact moment the grenade exploded. Dust and rubble fluttered down around them as she pushed him off of her roughly.

"What the fuck Soul!" he made out her snarl over his ringing ears. He didn't deem her expletive question worthy of answering. He instead asked her one of his own.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he snapped. Her eyes narrowed.

"My job."

"Since when was it your job to run at gang members and get yourself blown up?" He could see her chest swell as she inhaled angrily.

"We need those supplies!"

"Can't you let us do our job and get them?" he gestured to himself and the other cops. She glared and him but said nothing. This was how he'd always known when he'd won. For now anyways. A gang member got too close and he whipped around the corner of the car and fired a shot, the skull crusher dropped clutching his foot and howling.

He turned back to Maka who wasn't watching him, she was peering through the car windows. A few strands had come loose from her pigtails and he longed to brush them out of her face but knew the gesture would not be welcomed by her. Her throat bobbed up and down as she swallowed, he watched her twitch a little and he knew she wanted to run again. To be doing something.

Once upon a time he'd been a paramedic as well. They had been partners for the longest time but one day he had just decided he wanted to protect people. Namely he wanted to protect Maka who always rushed her way into the most inconvenient situations. She was hard-headed and stubborn as an ass but he loved her. He always had and was sure he always would. She may not have wanted him around anymore but she couldn't stop him from protecting her.

She rose a little from her crouch and he could see her preparing to dart out again. He caught her sleeve and held her back. "Where are you going I thought I made it clear you have no business out there?" She turned back to him with a serious expression.

"A civilian is hurt out there, I need to help them." His eyes glanced over her and found she was right, a man was in the street clutching the side of his head dazedly, the side of his face stained crimson. She jerked her sleeve out of his grasp and rushed out into the streets. With a sigh he stood up to cover her as she ran head long into danger as usual.

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><p>The tired group tramped into their makeshift clinic. It had been a hotel originally; one of the nicer ones in the city despite being fairly small. With the lack of tourism due to the quarantine it had been emptied out and so they had moved in. They were unable to use the regular hospitals and clinics as any of the ones outside the quarantine line had been burned for fear of infection plaguing those who lived nearby.<p>

Maka unzipped her jacket and tossed it onto the dark polished wood of what had once been the hotels check in desk, it now served as a hospital reception of sorts. Behind the desk sat a perky nurse who had been stranded despite her attempts to escape the city. With long dark hair gathered into pigtails like Maka's she was a small thing and often mistaken for being much younger than she was.

"Tsugumi if you could please let the patients in the lobby know we'll be with them soon as we can, we've just gotten a supply drop and need to lug it all in." The girl nodded several times and saluted before she scurried towards the people gathered in the lobby.

The blonde made her way back over to the doorway where the others were dragging in supplies. They had been given most of this particular drop, there was another clinic halfway across town but there had been more than one drop so they had their own supplies. Maka reached down to lift up the second half of a crate, Black Star was hefting the other end and the two of them dragged it in.

Bringing it into the back in the hotel kitchen she dropped it and sighed heavily. Soul entered the room carrying a crate between him and Kilik, a fellow cop and what Maka remembered as being his current partner. She immediately looked down and opened one of the crates, sifting through the supplies as Black Star chatted to Soul loudly.

She could feel his eyes on her as she worked and she did her best to ignore him. The three boys laughed loudly at something Black Star had said and turned to go.

Soul left last, lingering at the doorway with a frown. "Maka I-" he faltered, as thought unsure what to say. Her eyes stung and she rubbed at them in irritation. "Maka." She didn't look at him, only stared at her dark sneakered feet. "Maka look at me please?" he asked her softly. He made her so angry, she didn't see how they could possibly have a conversation as she just wanted to yell at him for being such an idiot. She hated how sad he sounded. He had no right, this was his fault she told herself. He was the idiot who thought her life was more important than his.

Her bangs covered her eyes and she sighed heavily. "I think its best you go." She murmured, she heard a sigh and the sound of the door swinging shut behind him as he left. She palmed her tearing eyes in frustration and continued unloading supplies.

The door creaked as it opened again and she heard footsteps as someone shuffled into the room behind her. "Go away Soul," she called sharply over her shoulder. "I'm not in the mood to fight with you."

"It's a good thing I'm not Soul then." She whirled and smiled when she laid her eyes on a primped and clean blonde standing just inside the doorway. Liz grinned and cocked her hip. "Sounds like you and lover boy still aren't getting along huh?" Maka shook her head. The news reporter sighed heavily and they hugged one another in greeting.

"Saw you on the news last night," Maka smiled. Liz waved her hand as if it were nothing.

"Bah, I'm the only thing on the news every night." Maka wiped off her hands on a relatively clean rag.

"So what are you doing here?" The city was never short on stories to be reported on these days.

"I'm heading over to see Patti, I was wondering if you wanted to come along for the ride." She rubbed the back of her neck and wrinkled her nose with an unsure frown.

"I dunno, we're pretty backed up I'm needed-"

"At Patti's," Tsubaki finished for her as she pushed her way backwards into the room, a handful of clean linens occupying her hands. "We needed to send someone over that way anyways with supplies, not to mention she's been requesting someone to come down and treat some of the kids." Tsubaki set down the linens and lifted up a box full of penicillin, the tiny bottles clinking against one another. "We'll be alright without you for awhile. With the supply drop things will be easier for a little bit." Liz smiled hopefully and Maka nodded after a brief moment of pretending to contemplate. She had a sneaking suspicion getting her out of the clinic for a little while with Liz had been plotted earlier amongst her friends.

"Alright, let me get changed and wash up."

* * *

><p>When the quarantine began many of the children living in the city had one way or another ended up orphaned. Whether their parents had died or become infected one way or another they'd ended up on their own. Children were least likely to catch the infection, it did happen from time to time but it was usually a rarity. For a long time they'd wandered the hotel clinic but so many of them gathered it became difficult to look after them and the new patients that came in every day.<p>

It was not long before Patti made the decision to open a orphanage. Kid had supported her in her endeavour and offered up his massive house for her to use. It had worked out well. After all, who better to look after the kids than Patti, a big kid herself?

Maka pulled up outside behind the house, gravel in the driveway skittering under the trucks tires. They'd opted for Maka's more practical truck rather than Liz's sleek little sports car. The two girls clambered out of the truck and headed to the back.

"I'm surprised their not running out in hoards to see us," Maka chuckled. "Last time I was here they saw us coming from down the road and they rushed us the minute we parked." Liz leaned against the side of the truck with her phone in hand. The keys clicked noisily as her thumbs flew across the keyboard texting. Maka smiled a little and lowered the hatch, dragging the crates of supplies towards her.

The phone clicked as she snapped it shut. "They'll be out any minute now to help with the supplies."

As if on cue the back screen door flew open with a bang. Children stampeded out of the house, screaming and laughing. At the head of the child army was an adult blonde who resembled Liz a great deal. Her hair was trimmed short in a pixie sort of cut and she was laughing as wildly as any of the children. "Get'em!" Patti hollered pointing at her two friends.

They were swarmed by children and Maka was forced to her knees laughing. The little redheaded girl she'd treated days before hugged her tightly and smiled. She looked much better, cleaned up with her previously dishevelled red curls tied into braids.

With the help of some of the older children they brought in the boxes of food. The children cheered at being told they had brought them more food. It was often difficult to feed them all with how many children there were. Thirty-six kids. All different ages. Maka wondered how Patti did it but she managed. Everyone at the clinic did their best to help her, and Liz often assisted despite not being the most maternal individual.

"How are things?" Maka asked. Patti sighed a little, allowing herself a moment to look weary while the children weren't paying attention. She smiled weakly.

"They're going. Its getting tough though. We keep getting more kids and I…I just don't have the heart to turn them away." Liz quirked her head.

"Has Kid been around lately?" The younger Thompson sister shook her head.

"He's been at the Lab non-stop…he hardly goes home or sleeps." Liz eyed Maka slyly.

"Sounds like someone else I know." Maka spluttered into her drink and the two sisters chuckled at her.

"Any breakthroughs?" she asked, quickly switching the subject. Patti shook her head glumly.

"No…but his research is starting to worry me. He wants to bring in infected to observe and take some samples from. I'm afraid if he keeps on like this he's going to catch the virus-" her eyes watered and Maka rubbed her back soothingly.

Kid and Patti had been together for only a few months now. The quarantine doing the opposite for their relationship for what it had done for Maka and Soul's. Kid was researching a cure for the infection though and his work consumed him, perhaps even more so than Maka's did for her. She hadn't seen her OCD friend in a couple of weeks now which was a testament to how holed up in his research he truly was, he had used to often visit the clinic to help out but hadn't been around recently.

Two of the children started to fight and Patti went to put down her drink to attend to them but Liz stopped her. She patted her sister on the shoulder. "I'll deal with it, be a good girl and chat with Maka. She's all broken up about that white-haired idiot and you need a break."

The conversation with Patti about Soul went much the same as her conversation about Soul with any of her other friends did. She was told to talk to him. The two of them needed to communicate. He was just trying to protect her. They'd both be happier if they'd just sit down and work it out. Though admittedly there was a great deal more laughter with their conversation, Patti had this bizarre ability to laugh at the most inappropriate things and Maka often found her laughter infectious. "You just gotta whip him into shape!" she said cheerily. "You gotta get tough, like I do with Kid!" Maka shuddered at the image that popped up in her head of Patti telling Kid off, it was always frightening to behold.

Maka set up a little line up for the kids who need medical attention and treated them one by one with what she'd brought in her field kit. Her pocket buzzed as she sent away the last child, a tiny boy with dark messy hair.

"Hello?" she answered, holding the phone to her ear with her shoulder as she packed up her things.

"_Maka?" _Tsubaki's voice floated through. _"Maka we-um, kind of need you back here…are you just about finished up?" _she sounded guilty for asking her to come back.

"Yep, I'll leave right away. And you don't need to feel guilty about asking for me to come back. I don't have a problem with it. I want you to call me when I'm needed."

"_Oh…umm…yes…its just-" _The doctor sighed softly into the phone. A familiar voice began shouting in the background.

"_HEY! TELL THAT GIRL TO HURRY UP! ITS WRONG TO KEEP A BIG STAR LIKE ME WAITING!" _Tsubaki sighed more heavily. _"I'll see you in a bit," _she murmured and the line clicked off. Maka closed her phone and the two sisters cocked their heads at her in identical displays of curiosity.

"I've got to go, they need me back at the clinic, are you coming back with me?" she asked Liz. Liz shook her head.

"I texted Kim a little while ago, she's gonna come pick me up here. She needs an excuse to get away from Ox tonight." With a giggle the girls all hugged one another goodbye. Maka had to go through and hug each child before she left. With a smile she climbed into her truck and pulled out. Back to work. Not that she'd ever really left work, even on her little visit and break she'd still had work to do. It was never ending after all.

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><p><strong>AN: Patience friends, interactions with Zombies are coming! I needed to get some of this information out, I'm still trying to fully introduce you to this world they're currently in! :) **

**I should have another Chapter of this up before this weekend is over. (I hope ehehe) **

**Reviews are like donations, they help to find a cure for the infection!**

**-Song :3**


	3. Chapter 3

**Another one! This fast! Its only been what, three days? I think that's pretty impressive considering it usually takes me at least a week to update haha. I figured I owe it to those following this one since its been kind of shafted while I'm writing 'HSGS'. Likely it will continue to be a little neglected but I will try the update quick as I can!**  
><strong>Thanks so much to those readingreviewing/following. It keeps me going and motivates me even more so! **

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN SOUL EATER**

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><p><em><span>Three:<span>_

Unexpected sunlight slipped through the planks of wood nailed across her bedroom window. The sunlight was unexpected as it never seemed to shine anymore. The sky was always grey and overcast these days. Maka yawned and stretched from her place in bed.

For a blissful moment she forgot everything that had happened and reached over for the warmth that normally sprawled out beside her. Her hands fell through empty air and landed on the cold unused sheets. Her heart constricted painfully and she turned away from them as well as the sun, ignoring the way a lump rose up in her throat and her eyes burned. She rubbed them pretending it was just to get rid of the sleep though for whose benefit the pretending was she couldn't say.

She frowned when she found a dried smear of blood on the back of her hand. The previous night had been so hectic she'd collapsed into her bed without a thought for washing up. Not to mention the water in the building was often cold so it wasn't something to look forward too. Her heavy eyes slipped closed, still tired despite how deeply she'd slept.

Images of the previous night flashed behind her eyelids. A screaming woman, her fiancée's bullet wound pumping out blood too quickly to staunch. Maka's fist clenched at her side. They hadn't arrived in time. The incident with the gang members had happened too far from the clinic, he'd been trying to protect his bride to be. Maka covered ears at the memory of the woman's broken sobs. They'd had to drag her away from him.

Her eyes flew open trying to banish the memory. She trembled a little. He was the first patient she'd lost since the quarantine had began and she couldn't stand it. The memory was like a nightmare she couldn't wake from, it wouldn't drift away as the day went on like a dream.

She turned over again, back to the sunlight and Soul's empty side of the bed. She had tried to force herself to sleep on it at first but it had been too strange. Her hand rested on his pillow and she wished he was there to comfort her. Losing a patient was always a traumatic thing. She put on a brave face for everyone else but when she came home he'd always known something was wrong. He pulled it out of her and managed to make her forget for awhile. He understood after all. He had to deal with the same sort of thing.

_Crash. _Maka jolted upright in bed. The sound of a metal bowl rolling to a stop on the floor echoed down the hall. Her heart thundered in her chest. Someone was in the apartment. That or she was being haunted which seemed a great deal less likely.

She searched her room for a makeshift weapon. In her rush she picked up a massive hardcover novel she'd been reading. Unfortunately she didn't have the traditional baseball bat for intruders. She was sure the book would work just as well.

Barefoot, in only her flannel sleep shorts and one of Soul's forgotten band t-shirts, she crept down the hall towards the kitchen. A scuffling sound and more clattering met her ears. She peered around the corner, brandishing the book like a weapon.

Crouching in the center of her kitchen was the elderly woman from the first floor. The only other tenant that had remained after the quarantine. Shafts of light broke through the window in pieces, the air sparkling with dust motes. Her breath puffed out in shock at the sight before her.

The elderly widow was tearing up the old Chinese food cartons that had previously been in Maka's fridge and shoving the rotten food in her mouth. The fridge door was thrown open along with all the cupboards and drawers, all the items in them were strewn across the floor along with garbage can that had been knocked over. Maka stepped into the kitchen hesitantly.

"Ms. Herondale?" She asked quietly her words slipping into the room overtop of the sounds of the woman gnawing on an old chicken bone. The old woman didn't respond at first. Her silvery hair dishevelled and in her face, blocking her expression from Maka's sight. "Ms. Herondale you don't have to do that…there was a supply drop yesterday. I can bring you some proper food." Why hadn't the older woman come to her sooner and let her know things were this bad? She'd told her neighbour countless times that she was always there to help her when she needed it. "Ms. Herondale…its me Maka…"

The sound of her chewing on the chicken bone stopped suddenly. For a breathless moment there was an eerie silence in the room. A single shaft of light laid across the older woman as her fist closed around the bone. She squeezed and there was a crunching sound, splinters of bone pierced her hand and blood dripped onto the floor. "Makaaaaa…" her voice was strange. The final 'A' croaking and drawn out. Her hand opened and the splinters of bone crumbled onto the floor, stained red now. "I don't know a Maka." Her head snapped up and Maka stepped back a little in unpleasant surprise.

Her eyes were bloodshot, the pupils a yellowish colour, unnatural. Her bleeding mouth stretched into a grin, her teeth dark from the blood, foam at the corners. She cocked her head, eyes shining in a bizarre animal like fashion. Like a predator observing its prey. Maka covered her mouth with her hand, holding back a gasp.

"You're…you're infected." She murmured against her hand, horrified. She hadn't seen a person so far gone this close before. The only infected she'd ever interacted with were in the beginning stages. Their symptoms more flu-like than anything.

She had heard about what they were like. How they appeared almost normal apart from their eyes. The teeth were not a usual symptom, they were unique to the old woman. She didn't remember her at all. This wasn't the sweet old widow who lived downstairs anymore. "Something is…wrong with you dear." Ms. Herondale said softly. The older woman rose from her crouch, her movements more graceful and lithe than any woman of her age could possibly be. Another side effect of the virus when it reached this point.

Maka's face twisted in disgust as her former neighbour took a step towards her. The old woman's face warped into a feral snarl. "You think you're better than me." She spat. "So healthy…so different…" The elderly woman produced a steak knife that had been in one of Maka's currently open drawers. It glinted in the sunlight peeking through the windows and Maka licked her dry lips with a frown. This was not good. The woman flipped the knife in the air, catching its handle easily and brandishing it in her direction.

Definitely not good.

She shrieked and rushed her, Maka was forced to pirouette out of the way. She was sure she looked ridiculous but it mattered little to her in this moment she just wanted to stay alive.

Her hands whipped back, clutching her novel and then snapped forward again striking her neighbour in the back of the head with as much force as she could muster. There was a crack as her neck snapped forward from the force of the blow and she stumbled. Ms. Herondale was silent for a moment, a quiet weeping coming from where she knelt with her back to her. Maka's hardened her heart against it, this was not the same old woman. "So heartless," she sneered as she whipped around, knife still in hand.

The knife swooped down and Maka lifted the book, blocking the blow. It sunk into the hard cover, jamming in place. Maka twisted the book and the knife came out of her attackers grasp. The woman howled and threw herself at her. The book clattered out of her grasp and they fell back into the counters edge. Maka struggled to keep her back, the infected woman's teeth gnashing together loudly as she tried to reach her, hurt her any way she could.

Maka's foot slipped on one of the many pieces of trash that littered the floor. Her hand flew up as she fell and the infected woman's teeth clamped down over her forearm. She screamed as they sunk into her flesh and she felt the warmth of her own blood begin to roll down her arm. Her vision blurred from the tears of pain that sprung up in her eyes and she scrambled to get a hold of something to beat the old woman off.

Her hand landed on the knife, still jammed into the cover of the book. She whipped it up and around bashing it into the side of the elderly woman's head. The jarring impact pulled her teeth out of Maka's arm and she tumbled onto the kitchen floor. Ignoring the way her arm burned she stood and stuck her foot on the book for leverage. She yanked the knife out and approached the woman who was turned over trying to get up.

That was it. Maka had had enough. Her arm looked like it was dressed in a red sleeve. A few drops slipped from her fingertips and onto the kitchen tile as she approached the woman. "Alright. I am so done with this." She snarled. "You need to get the _fuck _out of my house." She turned the knife over in her hand. "No more nice Maka."

The elderly woman whirled like some sort of creature and tackled her. Maka cursed as they hit the ground and the two grappled with the knife. The woman bared her teeth as she tried she force the knife back. Maka pushed with all her might. With one last burst of adrenaline and a mighty shove it sunk into the woman's head with a sickening squelch. Panting Maka released her hold on it and skittered back. She closed her eyes for a moment as she caught her breath and then scrambled up to promptly be sick in the sink.

She examined the wound on her arm with a grimace. Not good. With shaking hands she pulled out her phone, her fingers were tentative on the keys, unsure who to call. She dialled.

"Tsubaki." Her friends voice was concerned on the other line, she should have been at the clinic a half an hour ago. "I need you to come to my apartment right away. Bring a field kit. I-I'll explain when you get here." She closed the phone with a frown. Definitely not good. She heaved herself up towards the bathroom and her first aid kit.

* * *

><p>The knock on the door was soft and Maka approached it while cradling her arm against her chest. "Maka?" her friends voice called from behind the door. "Can we come in?" the handle turned and Maka locked the door in response.<p>

"Tsubaki-" she called to her.

"What's the big idea Maka?" an obnoxious voice interrupted. "Locking out a Big Star like me should be a crime!" Of course she'd brought Black Star with her. Maka groaned inwardly as she leaned against the door with a weary frown.

"I…my neighbour from downstairs was infected. She broke into the apartment this morning and bit me." She could make out the collective gasp on the outside of the door.

"I don't think it's a good idea for you to come into the apartment just in case. I don't know what's going to happen to me." There was silence for a moment.

"I'll call Kid." Tsubaki told her.

Their symmetry obsessed friend arrived an hour later. Maka heard his sharp rapt on the door, eight knocks in quick short succession. "Maka," he called to her calmly. "Let me in." She frowned.

"I can't do that Kid."

"Yes you can, trust me I'll be fine." She didn't say anything, just stared at the door. "Maka I've been studying the infection since the beginning, just open the door." With a sigh she unlocked it and opened it a little bit, stepping back. Kid entered carrying his kit with him and a mask pulled over his mouth and nose. Maka moved over to the couch, slumping down in her seat she flinched when Kid sat next to her, still afraid she would infect him. He gently pulled her arm towards him after opening up his kit he'd brought with him.

"The infection has a seven day incubation period," he started with a pitying expression. "The first twelve hours are the least dangerous, meaning you are not contagious during that time frame. You'll need to be quarantined until the incubation period is over." He began to clean her wound, it was already bruising around the tender flesh, purple and green. She chewed her lip and looked away with a grimace as he tended her injury. She'd done what she could with the minimal supplies in her first aid kit but the supplies Kid had brought were better. Kid continued to talk as he treated her, his voice an almost soothing lull as he detailed the infections process.

"You're going to get sick," he started. "It will feel like the worlds worst flu, you're already hot to the touch so I wouldn't be surprised if you're already feverish." Maka winced as he wiped her arm clean, it had already started to weep clear liquid. "Towards the middle of the incubation you will likely hallucinate, its unfortunate but that is usually a sign the infection has taken hold. I believe that's what leads to the eventual memory loss and drastic personality change. The fever essentially scrambles your brain, sometimes permanently, sometimes temporarily." Kid took out a syringe and held it loosely in his hand. Maka didn't comment on it as she figured he would tell her what it was for eventually. "At the end of the seven days if your eyes start to change colour…well…you know what that means," he finished quietly.

"Why does the infection change the eye colour?" she wondered. Kid frowned.

"I haven't figured it out yet to be honest, I thought initially maybe it had to do with the pigment but after some tests I found it doesn't effect the infected's vision," he sighed.

The glass of the syringe in Kid's hands caught the light seeping in through the cracks in the wood across her living room window. He held it up with a hopeful expression.

"Would you mind if I take some blood? For my research?" She shrugged and proffered out her arm for him.

"Have at it," she told him. He proceeded to draw blood and take a swab sample of the bite in question before he wrapped her arm in a clean white bandage. Tucking his samples into his case as he packed up his supplies he continued to explain.

"The way the infection is passed changes. Initially, after the first twelve hours I mentioned. Its passed much the same as any virus. After the week long incubation if its fully taken hold it only requires a fluid swap to pass. Blood, spit, sweat…other bodily fluids. You get the picture." The soft sound of a phone vibrating in someone's pocket filled the momentary silence. Kid produced a sleek little phone and answered it. He gestured for Maka to bear with him for a moment and he rose and stepped away from her. Not wanting to be rude Maka didn't try to over hear what he was saying, he spoke to lowly for her to make out his words anyways; it hurt her head to try. She put a hand to her forehead wearily wiping away sweat, she shivered a little and reached for a blanket on the back of the couch as Kid returned.

"I'm having the er-body removed by some of my people," he told her as he sat down on the couches edge beside her again. Kid was the heir to a large oil corporation. His father had tried to airlift him out when the quarantine had began but Kid had refused, he had not wanted to leave his friends behind. Especially not Patti. His father, disappointed as he'd been, had understood. Though Kid's father had always wanted him to take over the family business Kid had other ideas. He went to school to become a doctor, this is where Maka had met him through Tsubaki; the two of them being in the same class.

Eventually Kid had changed his mind about his choice of profession though and got more into the research side of medicine. He'd had a meltdown during the observation of a kidney transplant. One kidney? The horror and lack of symmetry was too much for Kid to bear.

"Maka?" she started a little, realizing Kid had been trying to talk to her and she'd dozed off. "Sorry, what?" she blinked. His face contorted into an expression of concern. He blew out a breath.

"We've moved the body out. I didn't want to go without saying goodbye." She sat up, the blanket falling from her shoulder. He sighed heavily. "You already look sick," he murmured, more to himself than anything. "I want you to know I'm working as fast as I can to find a cure Maka. If anything would make me work harder it would be this. I only hope I don't have to use it for you and you get better on your own." He leaned forward and they embraced each other.

He rose fluidly from his seat. "Tsubaki and Black Star are outside. They want to come talk to you before the twelve hours is up. We're going to leave you here for your quarantine, we'll just barricade the door. I'll be back when the week has passed." She nodded, eyes out of focus. "Fight this Maka. You're strong, you can beat it," he encouraged as he made his way to the door. She padded after him, barefoot, still dressed in her PJ's and with the blanket hanging from her shoulders like a cape. "You only have six hours left that you can physically interact with people." Six hours? She didn't remember so much time passing.

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><p>Tsubaki was teary eyed and her face held a continuously worried expression for their whole interaction. Black Star chattered as he always did, going on about how if it was him he would get through it easily, being a god and all. He proceeded to tell her there was no way she could infect him, he insisted he repelled the virus with his god-like aura and that by just being in his presence as often as she was there was no way the infection would take. She only smile softly at what she knew were his attempts to cheer her up.<p>

Despite their attempts to cheer her she knew in their minds they were saying goodbye. So few people survived the infection. And even if they survived the initial flu-like stage the infection would warp and they became the…zombie-like things the people feared. Like Ms. Herondale had been. Both Tsubaki and Black Star needed to get back to work, though they seemed reluctant to go. Maka insisted they leave. "Nothing you can do will help me now. There are people you can help at the clinic," she told them.

An hour after the two had left Liz and Patti showed up on her doorstep bearing a basket full of gifts for her. Liz bustled into the room and dumped her armful of items on the kitchen table. Patti skipped in after her, ignoring Maka's bewildered expression. "Kid told us," she explained. "We've still got some time."

They'd brought her food and an assortment of items to help with the flu-symptoms that had already started to creep up on her. Cough drops and cold medication, tissues and pain killers. "They won't make you better," Patti murmured. "We know that. But Kid said they might at least help you feel a little better…maybe." Maka hugged the two girls tightly.

In their care-kit they'd assembled they'd also brought a collection of movies for her watch and a stack of books. Liz smirked a little when Maka asked where they'd gotten the movies. They'd taken them from the abandoned video-store around the corner from Liz's apartment. It wasn't stealing, Liz insisted, they were just borrowing them. Patti had brought some of the books from Kid's library, not being a big reader herself.

Maka appreciated their efforts but didn't voice what she was thinking. Based on what Kid had told her it was unlikely she would be coherent enough to watch movies or read books in a few days time. Fever-induced hallucinations were in her very near future.

She ended up watching a movie with the girls. They did a better job remaining cheery for her than the tender-hearted Tsubaki had. She still caught the occasional worried expression shared between them though. Maka didn't end up enjoying the movie, she only worried about the time as it played through. Only one hour remained before she was on lock down. The two sisters offered to stay until the end of the final hour but Maka refused them, not wanting to risk it. She practically shoved them out the door.

"Do you want me call him?" Liz asked quietly. Maka's chest constricted and after a moment of silence she shook her head. Liz's eyebrows lifted. "He'd want to know Maka." Patti nodded eagerly beside her sister.

"He still loves you, he'll be upset if nobody tells him."

"Tell him I made you promise not to if he finds out. Blame it on me."

"Why don't you want him to know?"

"He'll just worry and probably do something stupid. You know what he's like. Reckless." Liz smiled sadly.

"Sounds like someone else I know," she joked half-heartedly. "I guess you both just rubbed off on each other." The sisters bid their friend goodbye with promises to visit her through the door at least throughout the next week.

The door closed gently behind them and Maka locked the handle, the deadbolt, and the chain. Likely pointless. Kid had told her they would be barricading it from outside. But anything that might slow her when her mind was addled and she took it in her head to escape the apartment was a good thing.

With a sigh she turned and went to the couch, curling up with a blanket and one of the books Patti had brought her. Her throat began to tickle as she was reading and she fell into a coughing fit. _So it begins. _Was her only thought.

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><p><strong>Oh whaaat? Betcha didn't see that coming! Muahaha. ^^; I like keeping my readers on their toes. What can I say? <strong>

**I will try to get the next chapter up for this soon as I can. However, as aforementioned 'HSGS' is my current priority. Also my VACATION that is coming up in a week here. *excited dance* I apologize but the gap between this update and the next will likely be awhile. I will try my darndest to get something up before August but you may not see anything til then! **

**As always, reviews make this writer's day! And may just stop me from losing my mind from this MUTANT fly that has been in my apartment for like three days now. I have tried everything short of setting the apartment on fire to eliminate it. I may have to resort to drastic measures here. (Joking! Well...only a little ehehehe) Too ridiculous. Now that I've finished venting my hatred for the fly (I may have to name him if he continues to plague me like this) I'm out!**

**-Song :3**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hurrah! I'm alive! I have returned from my vacation and I come bearing the gift of an update! Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing! Its greatly appreciated as always! I haven't had a chance to review this very much so bear with mistakes, I'll try to clean it up as soon as I can I was just excited to get it posted :) I won't make you wait much longer, please enjoy! ^^**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN SOUL EATER**

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><p><em><span>Four:<span>_

It was so hot. The heat was unbearable. It would only last for awhile though, it came and went. Hot one moment, cold like ice the next.

Sweat poured down the side of her face, leaking like tears from her eyes. She laid on the floor, in the middle of the room, staring up at the ceiling fan spinning idly above her. It blurred in her vision. She was nearly naked, clothed only in her bra and panties; she wished she could slip out of her skin. It was so hot. The heat was unbearable.

A sound. She sat up with a questioning expression. Her eyes dull, what was that sound? She couldn't even say. For a moment she thought she saw a shadow play across the wall, her head snapped around to see what had cast it but there was nothing.

Her throat tickled and she fell into a coughing fit, it racked her so hard her eyes watered and her throat burned. The heat. She couldn't stand it. How many days had passed? Had any days passed yet? Perhaps it had only been a few hours? She couldn't say. She had a clock somewhere she was sure but every part of her hurt and to move to find it was too much effort.

'_Maka'._

Was someone speaking to her? The apartment was empty. Nobody was speaking to her.

'_Maka'._

Her name. Someone had said her name she was sure. "Hello?" she called out, her voice hoarse. The word sounded hollow, echoing into the apartment overtop of the sound of whirring ceiling fan. Nobody was there. She was losing it. She pushed her sweaty hair off her forehead. It was so hot. The heat was unbearable.

She rose from her place on the floor, her legs shaky. She worried for a moment she wouldn't be able to support herself and held onto the wall. Miraculously she remained upright. The room spun as vertigo rushed over her. She needed a cough drop.

She froze. But wait. Hadn't she already grabbed one before she'd slumped onto the floor? Her mouth was empty though, her tongue poked around just to be sure. Perhaps she'd swallowed it? But that didn't seem right. She couldn't remember swallowing it. She frowned. Where had she left them anyways? On the table in the kitchen. Yes that was where.

The floor felt like it was moving beneath her feet, it was unnerving. She halted as it roiled sinking onto her knees. The floor still felt like it was moving. Horrified she realized the floor didn't just feel like it was moving it looked like it too. It didn't make any sense. It looked like thousands of creatures were crawling underneath it; making it bubble up and writhe, the planks of the hardwood moving unnaturally.

She held her stomach. She might be sick it she watched the floor move much longer. Maka squeezed her eyes shut and crawled this time instead of trying to walk. Everything twisted and tilted beneath her still and she was sure it took her a ridiculous amount of time to reach the kitchen but she made it all the same.

'_Maka'._

Her brow furrowed. "Stop it," she muttered. Though she didn't know who she was telling that to. After all nobody was talking to her right? She'd already determined that. She shook her head and opened her eyes tentatively. Purposely she avoided looking at the floor as her hands reached up to feel around the tabletop for the cough drops. Something crunched underneath her hand and she clutched it tightly, bringing it down to examine from her place on the floor.

'_Maka'. _She ignored it this time. _'Maka'._

A cough drop wrapper. It felt like it was full. Her throat ached and she immediately began fumbling with it, trying to open it. The wrapper crinkled in her hands.

'_Maka'. _

"Shut up!" she exploded, covering her ears and squeezing her eyes shut again. "Shut up, shut up, shut up!"

She waited. The phantom voice quiet. Slowly she lowered her hands from her ears. Now what had she been doing? The cough drop. Right. Her hands were empty though. She frowned. Had she dropped it? She felt around on the now steady floor. Nothing. Where did it go? Maybe she'd already eaten it. But that didn't make any sense. Her head felt thick, confused.

Slowly, dizzily, she stood. The table was empty. But a whole bag had been there she was sure of it. She wiped the sweat from her brow. She was losing her mind. There was no bag of cough drops on the table. She spotted them on the counter across the room. She could have sworn they had been right here. She'd been holding one in her hands. Or so she'd thought.

'_Maka'. _

An unintelligible scream tore from her sore throat and she decided to forget the cough drops. It was so hot. The heat was unbearable. It felt like she was melting. She stumbled towards the bathroom.

Falling onto the floor beside the tub she ripped the shower curtain back and turned on the faucet. A jet of cold water rushed into the tub and she pulled up the knob for the shower.

She clambered clumsily into the bath without bothering to remove her underclothes, the chilled water pouring onto her; cooling her heated flesh. She should have done this hours ago. She curled up at the bottom of the tub and closed her eyes, letting the shower rain down.

* * *

><p>"Where is she 'Star?" Soul growled. Black Star gave him a blank look.<p>

Soul had cornered him upon entering the clinic. They were in the second floor hallway and Soul had backed his friend up against the dark green walls with a hard expression. He was determined to get to the bottom of this.

Everyone had been avoiding him for four days now and he hadn't seen Maka once, though lord knows he'd tried. He'd been dropping by the clinic whenever he could; Tsubaki always managed to politely excuse herself before he could speak to her.

His suspicions increased when he ran into Black Star with the ambulance and Maka wasn't with him. Maka and Black Star were partners. And Maka always wanted to be out in the field. She practically lived for it.

He'd texted Liz, Patti and Kid about it, none of them had answered him and Liz had practically _run _away from him when he ran into her in the street.

Something was up. All the signs indicated something was and he knew it wasn't good. He could feel it in the pit of his stomach. Something was horribly wrong and everyone knew about it but him.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Black Star deadpanned.

"Where is Maka?" Soul snapped. Black Star shrugged.

"How should I know? A big guy like me has better things to do than keep tabs on some scrawny girl." Soul's eyes narrowed, he knew Black Star didn't mean what he said, he cared about Maka too but he was trying to make Soul angry to distract him.

"She's your partner dammit, you have to know where she is!" Black Star sighed heavily.

"Maybe we're not partners anymore." A lie, Soul knew him well enough to tell.

"Don't fuck with me 'Star. I haven't seen her in four days, I've been around the clinic and nobody will tell me where she is! Tell me where she is." His voice twisted with pain as he spoke and he mentally cursed himself for the moment of weakness, especially in front of his blue-haired friend. He expected Black Star to jump on it and mock him but all he saw in his friend's eyes was an out of character pity.

"I can't man." Soul cursed and hit the wall in frustration.

"Why? She's hurt or something isn't she?" He paced in a fury. "She told you guys not to tell me whatever it is so I know its bad." He ran a hand through his hair and uttered a sound of disgust. "Fuck!" He kicked a small table and the decorative vase on it clattered onto the ground with a smash as it tumbled over.

He turned back to his friend. "I'm losing my mind here. Please Black Star. I'm fucking begging you to tell me I can't take this." If she was dead would they tell him? If she was near death would they? Surely they wouldn't keep it from him if it was so dire.

But perhaps they would, he thought. To stop him from being an idiot about doing something to save her. He would be the first to admit he could be an idiot about Maka's safety but she needed protecting and he would always go out of the way to be her shield if needed. Every time. Always.

He rolled his shoulders trying to relax himself. He hated that he'd lost his cool like that. It wasn't right. He was thankful Black Star had seen fit to pity him instead of mock him like usual. "Forget it." Soul muttered and sniffed. He stuffed his hands into his pocket and turned to go.

"Soul." His heart thudded loudly in his chest and he paused not wanting to be hopeful but unable to avoid it. "Man…I hate to be the one to do this. But a big guy like me hates to see a little guy like you suffer." Soul turned to him, Black Star looked incredibly sad. "She was infected dude…she's under lock down at her apartment."

Soul's stomach dropped and he suddenly felt the need to throw up. Not long ago there was a time where he would have been the one she turned to. He hated this, her not trusting him. He didn't understand what had happened between them. The complete breakdown of their relationship had been so abrupt.

Without another word, Soul turned and started towards the stairs and the emergency exit at a purposeful pace. He did not run. "Where you going Soul?" Black Star called after him. Soul didn't answer, he pushed open the stairwell door. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" The door snapped shut behind him.

* * *

><p>Maka's eyes peeled open slowly. The hiss of the shower filling the bathroom. Water still fell steadily overtop of her. Her flesh no longer felt like it was on fire. She was chilled and shivering uncontrollably. She supposed her solution to the heat was not the most intelligent but she had needed to do something.<p>

Her head felt foggy. She'd fallen asleep it seemed. With a frown she reached forward and turned off the water. With great effort she pulled herself out of the bottom of the tub and onto the bathroom floor, not caring that she was dripping water everywhere. A coughing fit ripped over her, so forceful she was unable to move for several moments. She grimaced when she realized she'd coughed blood.

She rose and went to the sink, rivulets of water running down her back, shaking from cold. She washed the little bit of blood from her hands and raised her eyes to the mirror to examine her reflection. Gaunt and sickly looking, unusually pale with golden eyes. She lowered her gaze absently as she turned off the tap and her heart stopped. _Golden eyes._

Her gaze snapped up to the mirror again and a whimper of panic escaped her she touched her eyes with trembling fingertips. She blinked and the unfamiliar eyes were gone. They were green again. Her eyes. Not the eyes of some monster.

She tried to calm herself but her eye color seemed to flicker again in her vision. She stumbled away from the mirror with a cry of alarm, falling onto the floor with a wet thump. Eyes closed, she covered them with the palms of her hands, silently willing them to remain green.

'_Maka.' _

"Go away," she muttered angrily.

'_Maka.' _

"I don't want to talk to you!" she snapped. She pulled her hands from her eyes and crawled towards her room, a trail of dripping water left behind in her wake. On her way to her room she passed the discarded band t-shirt she'd been wearing earlier. A forgotten one of Souls. She didn't even listen to the band but it comforted her. She pulled it on without bothering to dry off first and then clambered into her bed, pulling the covers on as she shivered violently.

Her vision blurred and the room seemed to spin and twist in her sight. Colours melded together, mingling in and out of each other before her eyes. It made her feel sicker, her stomach twisted like the colours and she pulled the blankets up over her head to block them out.

A thundering sound echoed around the apartment and she groaned. What now? Couldn't her aching head just let her rest? What mad thing had it conjured up for her this time?

"Maka!" The voice again. She groaned and pressed her hands to her ears. The thundering sound continued; though it reminded her more of someone pounding on something now rather than thunder. "Maka open the door!" That was different. "Maka its Soul open up!"

Soul. His face swam up behind her closed eyelids. Red eyed with spiky white hair. His wide, sharp smile. A pang of longing slipped through her. "Maka! For Christ sake I know you're in there!" Was it really him? That didn't make any sense to her.

She pushed the covers back so she could sit up, wrapping them around her shivering form she struggled towards the door.

On tip toe, she leaned in to peer through the peephole. She could see his snowy white hair, he was standing impatiently in the hall before the door. A wave of dizziness overcame her and she slipped to her knees, coughing as she did. He must have heard her as he hammered on the door again. "Maka let me in!"

She turned to lean against it, wrapped in her comforter. "I can't," she called hoarsely. "I'm contagious."

"I don't care."

"I do." She heard his sound of frustration and the door behind her jarred as he kicked it. She settled in and closed her eyes to the spinning room. Even with them closed her head swam. After a few moments silence she heard scuffling on the other side of the door. She assumed he was settling in on the opposite side. She didn't speak though, it hurt her throat too much to talk. She was clammy with sweat from being beneath the blanket and still damp from the shower. When she kicked it off she was too cold though.

"Maka…" his voice floated through the door. "Why did you want this kept from me?" She didn't answer. Didn't really know how to answer. "Please talk to me." She coughed again.

"My throat is sore," she rasped. "It hurts to speak. There was nothing you could have done anyways." He was quiet, she almost thought she could feel him through the door. Not that it was possible, she was likely imagining it. She worried about him forcing his way through the door. She didn't want him to get sick. And she especially didn't want him to see her eyes. She feared the way they kept changing colours on her was more than her imagination.

* * *

><p>Her voice sounded so pained when she spoke, he didn't want to make her keep talking if she would suffer for it.<p>

"You know its probably not good for you to be out there. The door isn't airtight…you're still probably at risk there," she told him. He sighed heavily.

"I'm not going anywhere, you won't let me come in and for now I'll respect that. But you can't make me go." He would not leave. Not even at the end. If she changed-no, she would not, he corrected mentally. She was strong. She would be fine he told himself.

His let his head fall back to lean against the door. The apartment hallway was empty and dark. He'd pushed past the guards Kid had set up roughly after giving them a few choice words about not letting him pass. He'd called Kid on the way there to ensure there wouldn't be too much resistance.

Upon their bosses orders they had stepped out of the hall to give him some privacy though they had warned Kid had told them he could not enter the apartment. Only stand outside the door and he must keep his mask on at all times.

He wanted to break the door down to get to her. He could hear her laboured breaths even through the thick painted wood. She was so close and yet still he couldn't get to her, it was vexing.

Feeling the crack between the door and the floor he slowly slid his fingertips beneath it. Tentative, a little afraid of her rejecting him.

Something brushed his fingers, a gentle touch, feather light. And then he felt her hand rest overtop of his fingers, clutching them; so small in comparison to his. Her skin was heated and clammy, worry filled him at the feel. The sound of her coughing came from the other side of the door. He was surprised she'd allowed him even this.

Neither of them spoke. Only remained on either side of the door in silence.

* * *

><p><strong>Ohohoho, I was going to leave this as a cliff hanger but I decided against it…I shall save the excitement for the next chapter. Which I hope to finish quickly though I won't promise just in case. I want to get another chapter of 'HSGS' up first and I also have a couple of one shots running around in my head. <strong>

**Reviews are just the nicest c: **

**-Song**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello!**

**I am so sorry for the wait! It wasn't my intention to leave everyone hanging for so long. I definitely ended up going to a music festival this weekend past instead of writing like I'd planned. Ehehe... ^^; **

**Thanks so much for all the reviews and favourites! :) I really appreciate it and always look forward to reading new reviews. **

**Anyhoo, enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN SOUL EATER**

* * *

><p><em><span>Five:<span>_

Soul stirred from his sleep, stiff and uncomfortable up against the door. He had been in that hallway for two days, only leaving to relieve himself in the next door apartment that was unlocked. Tsubaki had kindly came by to deliver him food twice; he had a suspicion Maka had somehow contacted her about it. When she'd suggested he got home to eat and sleep in his bed he'd turned her down but then miraculously Tsubaki appeared with Tupperware containers of food.

He and Maka had not talked much. The two of them were mostly content to quietly touch hands beneath the door.

He could hear her suffering and it killed him. Occasionally he would make out the sound of her muttering to herself and since he'd arrived her breaths had become steadily more wheezy. Not to mention the racking coughing fits that came and went. He asked her how she was doing occasionally and she would call out she was alright in a pitiful voice.

Kid had told him she would likely be hallucinating. When he asked her about it Maka had murmured that it had gotten a little better since he'd arrived. _"Its kind of like you've grounded me."_ She'd whispered almost too quietly for him to hear. His stomach had fluttered when he'd heard that like some stupid little kid whose crush had just told them they thought he was cute. He wanted to kick himself for being so un-cool.

Jerking awake he realized she was no longer clutching his fingers. Her warmth missing painfully so. He pulled his hand out from under the door so he could shift himself to press his ear against it. Her wheezing breaths weren't there. "Maka?" he asked, his throat tight. No answer. He couldn't make out the sound of the shower, any water running or the sounds of her scuffling about. He knocked on the door. "Maka are you awake?"

A soft moan reached his ears. This was something. "Are you okay?" Another moan, this one sounded pained and louder than the last.

"It hurts," she whimpered. "They hurt so bad." He pressed himself tighter against the door in alarm.

"What hurts Maka? What's going on?" The whimpering was steadily growing louder, it sounded like she was sobbing now. "Maka what's happening? Answer me!"

"My eyes!" she shrieked suddenly. "They're burning! My eyes are burning!"

Soul paled and rose swiftly. He turned the knob to the door several times willing it to not be locked. He threw himself against it and it shook with the force. Her screams were spine tingling and he was going to lose it if he didn't get into that apartment immediately. He kicked the door savagely in disgust.

With a grimace he took a calming breath and proceeded to pick the lock. A trick he had learned in his delinquent youth. Before he'd met Maka. Before she'd made him better. It was difficult to work quickly with her agony-filled screams in his ears. The guards Kid had set appeared at the end of the hall.

"What's going on?" they shouted. When they saw him fiddling with the lock they wore twin expressions of shock. "Hey! You can't do that!" In that moment the lock clicked and the door swung open. The two backed up with frightened expressions, clearly the threat of the infection was a bigger deal to them than stopping him from entering.

Ignoring the men at the end of the hall he pushed his way into the room. The sight that met his eyes made him ill. Maka was on the floor, curled in on herself in the foetal position; the base of her palms were pressed firmly to her eyes and she was trembling violently. Another shriek of pain pierced the air and he dropped to her side.

Gently he tried to lift her up, she struggled for breath as she gasped through the racking sobs. "Shh," he murmured comfortingly as he pulled her up towards him. She continued to cover her face. "Maka, its okay, I'm here." He rubbed circles on her back soothingly with one hand as he tried to remove her hands from her face with the other.

"My eyes…" she whimpered.

"Let me see," he demanded softly.

"N-no, you can't," she protested weakly but he pulled her hands away and was alarmed at what he found.

Her eyes were dark, the pupils black and her cheeks stained with a black fluid that reminded him of blood, her skin was too pale in contrast. Even more so than usual. The fluid was leaking from her eyes like tears, the colour seeping out. She swallowed a scream as the light touched them and they snapped closed again.

He cursed under his breath sharply, completely at a loss for what to do. From all the symptoms he'd heard of in regards to the infection this was not one he was familiar with. This shouldn't be happening. This wasn't how it happened.

She pressed the base of her palms into her eyes again with another agonized sound and he cursed.

Kid would know what to do. He needed Kid that was it. Kid knew all about the infection, he could make this right. He would understand what was happening.

* * *

><p>The little switch rolled under his thumb smoothly as he increased the magnification on his microscope. The tiny cells became clearer in his sight and Kid pulled away. He picked up a pen and scribbled down notes as he slipped his slide from the stage, retrieving another.<p>

Just as the new slide clicked into place his open laptop nearby chimed to announce a video call coming through. With a sigh he pulled away from his work and moved across the white, sterile room to the computer.

He tapped the button to accept the call, brow furrowed as to why Soul was video calling him. Especially now of all times, this late at night. Last he'd heard Soul was sitting vigil outside Maka's apartment until the quarantine period was over.

Shrieks came through at the same time as a pale and panicked Soul came into view. It was a clearly feminine scream in the background, whoever it was sounded like she was being tortured and Kid cringed. Judging by Soul's expression Kid was sure he already knew who it was. He felt a spark of anger that Soul had ignored his instruction not to enter the same space as her. He swallowed it though, composing himself.

"Soul?" Kid asked with a frown. His voice muffled by his mask. "What is happening?"

"Its Maka," as Kid had suspected. "She's…something is wrong with her. I don't-"

"She's infected Soul. I believe you were told this. And now you've gone and exposed yourself to the virus as well." He sighed exasperatedly and flattened his hair to his head, running his hands through it would be unacceptable. Why people mussed their own hair when they were stressed he didn't know. Then they were stressed and their hair was unsymmetrical garbage. Ridiculous.

"No Kid." His friends voice was sharp. His worry for Maka making him angry and intense. "This isn't the infection. I'm aware of the symptoms, the process. This is-different. She needs help. I need you to come here." He then added as an afterthought, "Please." His voice broke a little and Kid really saw the fear in his eyes in that moment. "She keeps crying about her eyes. She says they're burning and she's…bleeding this-stuff. I don't know what it is."

"Soul if its her eyes-"

"For Christ sake Kid, get the fuck over here or I'm bringing her there! I don't give a fuck who else gets 'exposed' along the way." Kid's eyes narrowed.

"Hold the phone up, let me see her."

Soul's face swung out of view as the phone's camera angle swivelled. Maka's slight form filled the screen and Kid winced. She was trembling violently, clutching her eyes. He heard Soul murmur softly to her, pulling her hands away. Something black stained her cheeks, trailing a path down from her eyes that were also an unnatural black, it was as though the colour were bleeding out of them.

This was not normal. This was nothing he'd ever seen before. His mind raced, was the infection developing? Was it taking a turn for the worst? Had it evolved?

This seemed worse than what he'd seen. The change in eye colour wasn't supposed to be this painful or messy. It was smooth, almost unnoticeably usually. She screamed as the light touched her eyes and squeezed them shut again.

"I'll be there shortly." He managed to say, his heart constricting a little. It was hard to keep an appropriate emotional detachment to the study when it was his friend effected. Soul nodded in response, his jaw tight.

He tapped the button on his keyboard needed to end the call.

* * *

><p>Kid arrived in record time, a case in hand and dressed in a hazard suit. Soul stood back as his friend slipped into the room, followed by a team of others dressed much the same. Kid proceeded to check her vitals. She began to thrash and her previously quieted screams grew loud again as Kid flashed a light in her eyes. Soul tried to hold her in place, whispering comfort in her ear; his grip firm but gentle.<p>

Once satisfied with his initial examination Kid produced a syringe. Holding her arm out he injected her with whatever the item was and her thrashing calmed instantly as she slipped into an unconscious state.

"What was that?" Soul demanded his eyes glinting stormily.

"Relax, its nothing serious. It'll help with the pain and make her sleep for awhile is all so I can get her to the lab."

"The lab?" Kid nodded.

"I have no idea what is happening to her and I can't properly study it here. Not to mention we might be able to decontaminate you before the infection takes hold so you're coming too."

Upon Kid's instructions he proceeded to pack a bag of things for Maka. He felt more hopeful that way. By doing this he was telling himself she would be fine. She would get better and therefore need these items he was packing. Soul did not care that most of his things were at Wes', he would do without.

He managed to find a few items he'd left behind when he moved out and went back to the front entryway. Maka was limp in a hazard suited man's arms, one of Kid's hirelings. Her pale legs exposed as she wore nothing but a t-shirt and panties.

"I'll take her," he grunted. Soul took her into his arms, her head limp as it fell against his chest. This was the most he'd touched her in a month, he thought to himself chagrined and she was unconscious and beyond ill. He felt sick and wished he hadn't let this happen. He should have forced them to mend their relationship, forced her to talk it out with him. It never would have happened if they were still together. She never would have been bit. He could have protected her, he should have.

His heart twisted when he realized she was wearing one of his old band t-shirts. That was something wasn't it? Or maybe it meant nothing… He followed them through the door, holding her close to his chest.

The ride to Kid's lab went by like a blur.

* * *

><p>The world was dark. Cold. The ghost of pain remembered still echoed in her bones but it had faded into the background of her thoughts. She must be sleeping, she thought to herself absently.<p>

She tried to wake, tried to pull herself out of the dark but it was so hard, every part of her felt heavy. Like someone had filled her veins with lead.

Her eyes fluttered but they didn't open to her apartment. They didn't open to anything she was familiar with. Only more dark. Everything was shadows and sepia tones. Her eyes adjusted to the strange lighting and she realized she standing in a hallway. But somehow she knew she wasn't really standing in a hallway. _I'm dreaming. _She told herself calmly. _I need to wake up. _She insisted this to herself though she seemed to remain where she was.

She realized she was dressed as she had years ago during school. A pleated, plaid skirt and a blouse with a knit sweater vest. Her hair was in pig tails, one thing she had not given up as the years went by. Soul had always said he liked them, despite all his teasing. He'd been disappointed when she'd given up the skirts and had made her promise she would at least keep her pigtails, for his sake.

Doors melted into being along the walls of the hallway. The hallway then seemed to grow, stretching so far she could not see its end. She needed to get to the end of the hallway. Somehow she just knew that was what she needed. If she could get to the final door she could wake up like she wanted.

'_Maka'._ For a minute she worried it was the voice she'd been hallucinating again but no…this voice was different. And yet so familiar. A soft giggle followed the voice and a part of her knew what she would see when she turned.

Slim and slight of form, blonde haired. The same plaid skirt and white blouse, the same grey knit sweater vest. It was her. An almost perfect copy of herself stood before her. Like looking in a mirror, except the eyes were wrong. The copies eyes were not green like they should be, they were a golden colour. Feral and uncanny. The copy grinned and her mouth seemed to stretch unnaturally from ear to ear.

"You're me?" her voice echoed strangely into the hallway. The mirror Maka's eerie grin remained in place and she nodded.

'_Of course. Who else could I be?' _

"But I'm me. How can you be me too?" The copy chuckled.

'_We're both you. But it can't last this way. One of us is going to win.' _

She felt sick. A part of her knew what this duplicate girl meant. Despite this fact she still asked her-

"What do you mean win?"

'_Well…let me put it this way. Either you'll wake up. Or I will.' _Her laughter rose, swirling around the true Maka. Seeming to become tangible as it tangled around her limbs. The copy's golden eyes narrowed and she shoved her over; slamming her palms into her chest with as much force as she could muster. Maka tumbled backward and the copy leapt over her, taking off down the hallway.

Maka struggled to stand, hurrying down the hallway after her. She could not let her win.

* * *

><p>"This is…incredible." Kid's voice was awed, almost a little excited.<p>

"What's incredible?" Soul asked. He was dressed nothing but a towel that he had wrapped around his waist. His hair was damp and hung around his face still wet. They'd forced him into a decontamination shower when he'd arrived. Going through numerous tests before they'd determined him clean. His skin felt raw from the force and heat of the hoses that had sprayed him down.

Maka had been laid in a single room, hooked up to numerous pieces of equipment. She was still asleep. Completely unconscious to her surroundings. In the mean time Kid had determined he would run some tests on the sample's he'd taken from her.

"I- this could change everything. This is remarkable."

"_What _is?" Soul asked irritably.

Kid fiddled with his microscope, his eye glued to the lens. "Maka's…antibodies. They're attacking the infection. Every other sample I've tested the antibodies don't even put up a fight, they just roll over and let the infection take its toll." He gestured for Soul to come closer. "Come, come see."

Soul stepped up to his microscope and peered through. None of it meant anything to him. It was just a bunch of blobs and squiggles. He pulled away blinking with a shrug and Kid scoffed exasperatedly.

"Don't you understand? Maka….her body is actually fighting the infection and _winning. _Its like the cells have these…little shields, if the infection gets too close it dies. I think what we saw, with her eyes and the pain…she was rejecting the infection before it could take its full hold."

It was like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. That meant she would be okay. It had to. It meant she would beat the infection, she would live and he would be able to fix their relationship. He would make sure she knew how much he loved her. How much he could not do without her. She would be okay he told himself again.

"That means she's going to be okay right?" he asked aloud this time for reassurance. Kid sighed. The monumental moment was completely lost on his paramedic-turned-cop friend.

"Soul. Her blood could contain the cure to the virus."

* * *

><p><strong>I feel like an ass but I love leaving it all exciting and intense like that. I hopefully will be able to get the next chapter up soon! I haven't decided if I'll be updating this or 'HSGS' first. Whichever I decide there will likely be only one more update this week as I am going camping on the weekend! So excite! :3<strong>

**Thanks for reading!**

**Reviews are delightful and give me a warm fuzzies!**

**-Song :3**


	6. Chapter 6

**You aren't dreaming. **

**This is a real update. An update for Infection. **

**Now I know its been a million years but I did warn you all this would be neglected while I focused on 'HSGS' Now that I have completed it though I am free to continue this one. My goal is to finish this ****before posting the sequel to 'HSGS' though honestly things may change. It all depends on the circumstances. I will do what I can to get through this one and not be the worst ever about updating it though. Which I have been. I know this. **

**Anyways! Here it is. The long awaited updated. Thank you all for such everlasting patience with this one and for all the follows and reviews. Just remember. Even its a stupid long wait for the continuation (which I swear it won't be!) it will happen. I cannot and will never just abandon a story halfway through.**

**Please enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN SOUL EATER**

* * *

><p><em><span>Six:<span>_

Hours. She had been running for hours it seemed. Or perhaps even days. Though it appeared she made no progress at all. The hallway looked exactly as it had before when she started running. She had yet to see her mirror image either. She had not thought the other Maka had such a head start. She should have caught up to her by now.

Panting she tried to not focus on the doors she passed. Every time she laid eyes on one she felt and overwhelming urge to throw it open and see what lay beyond. She didn't have time for that. She had to ignore them, press on to the end of the endless hallway.

Feet pounding on the carpeted floors she continued down her path. A door to her left swung wide ahead of her and she pulled up short, alarmed at this new development.

For a moment she stood still, just watching. To her surprise the other Maka leapt from the doorway, turning around with a mad laugh as the door slammed shut. It burst into flames behind her, burning black beyond repair.

Her eyes widened and a white hot pain struck her. She collapsed to her knees, clutching her skull tightly with her eyes screwed shut. As quickly as the pain came though, it went away again. She opened her eyes almost hesitantly, realizing the mirror Maka had spotted her. The other cocked her head, pigtails bouncing. _'What do we have here?' _she chirped as she took a few steps closer to her.

Shaking a little in the aftermath of her brief episode she managed to pull herself up onto her feet, wary enough of the mirror Maka to stay more than an arms length away. "What did you just do? What was beyond that door?" She asked, trying to sound commanding despite how unsure of herself she was here.

'_A memory'. _She smiled, her lips stretching maniacally as she did.

"My memory?"

'_Our memory.' _She laughed softly. _'Gone now though'._

"You mean…?" The other nodded. "So what I felt…that was because-you destroyed one of our memories? Why!" She shrugged with a smile still playing at her lips.

'_It was fun. Who needs memories of Daddy anyway?' _Maka felt as if she had been struck in the gut at this revelation.

"You mean…all of my memories of Papa are…gone?" The other scoffed.

'_Don't be stupid. That was only one memory. A picnic or something, when we were little. You wouldn't know who I was talking about if I'd ruined them all.'_

"If you really are me, why doesn't destroying the memories hurt you too?" The other looked thoughtful.

'_You thrive on memories. Memories make us. What if you forgot everyone you ever knew? You wouldn't be the same person without the memories of them and prior experiences would you? I don't come from memories. I'm your base. Before your memories. If I erase them. I erase you." _

The mirror Maka laughed at her horrified expression. With smirk she twirled away playfully. Humming to herself as she went. She paused in the middle of the hall. _'Eenie meenie miny moe, wherever next should I go? This or that door? From the same row? Eenie meenie miny-"_

"No!" Maka's voice echoed into the hallway firmly. Silencing the mirror Maka's rhyme. In the moment she interrupted her there was a bang, as loud as her shout had been. Each of the doors in the hallway were now padlocked. In her moment of panic she had managed to throw up a defence against the other's attack.

The other snarled and her feral eyes flashed furiously as she turned on her. _'Little bitch. How did you do that?' _In truth she didn't really know. She decided to wing a response though.

"Its _my _mind. I'm in control." Mirror Maka threw back her head and cackled.

'_So you think, sweetheart.' _She told her nastily thenshe whirled to take off down the hallway again. Maka was feeling more confident now though, the other would not deter her. She bolted off down the hallway in chase.

* * *

><p>"Soul." Kid's voice broke sharply into the pristine quiet of the white room. Soul glanced up from where he sat, coming out of his dazed stupor. "Soul, you have to go get some sleep. She's perfectly safe here." He looked away from Kid to stare hard at their joined hands, resting at Maka's side on the bed. She was unresponsive as ever, still hooked up to a variety of machines to monitor her.<p>

Her face was pale as the sheets she was resting on. The black fluid that had stained her cheeks had been wiped away though occasionally it would begin to leak out of the corners of her eyes again like tears. He had made sure to gently dab them away each time.

His friend sighed heavily, folding his arms across his chest and leaning against the doorframe. "What would Maka think if she knew you were doing this to yourself? She wouldn't be impressed I know that much." Soul shot him a glare and Kid held up his hands defensively. "Come on now, I'm just telling it like it is." He straightened his lab coat as he took a step into the room. "Tsubaki and Black Star are dropping by later." Soul didn't respond. With a sound of annoyance he snapped, "I swear to God Soul I'll sick Patti on you if you don't go get some sleep!"

Soul scowled and released Maka's hand reluctantly. He didn't relish having Patti bullying him into leaving next. He stood, the chair scraping across the shiny white tiled floors as he went. Kid didn't move, Soul knew he wouldn't leave the room until he did just in case Soul tried to be sneaky and stay after he left.

As he passed his scientist friend he shot him a glare. Kid didn't seem to care, following after him out of the room with a passive expression. "You'll watch her?" Soul demanded. Kid nodded. "Of course. Not to mention I have access to all her vitals right there on the computers. You'll actually sleep right?"

"You'll call me right away if she wakes while I'm sleeping?" Kid nodded. "Then yes, I'll actually sleep."

"Good. You can take the elevator upstairs into the main house. Anyone you come across should be able to direct you to a bed to get some sleep."

Kid's lab was built beneath the manor house he and Patti lived in. It was of an appropriate size to double as the orphanage it had become. Though Kid spent most of his time in his underground lab working on his research.

Soul stepped into the massive silver elevator, he felt like he was trapped in a haze as he pressed the button for the main floor and the doors slid shut. He leaned against the wall tiredly, a wave of exhaustion hitting him now. The elevator jolted into action, his stomach flipping a moment as he rose.

His eyes opened as the elevator doors did. He stepped out into a wide, empty hallway. A wide open space in the wall lead into a cushy sitting room of sorts. On either side down the hallway were several different doors leading off into different portions of the manor.

The mahogany floor shone with a freshly cleaned sort of sheen. Not surprising, with all Kid's money Soul was sure he could still afford a maid, even in the dire circumstances. That or maybe the kids did it? Soul didn't know how that worked.

He just stood there a moment, wondering which direction would take him to people when a door down the left side of the hallway burst open and a small boy came racing by, shouting something incoherent over his shoulder. To whom he was shouting Soul was at a loss, he appeared to be alone, a toy motorcycle was clutched in his hand. Soul cleared his throat.

The running child froze in place, whipping around as he only just noticed the intruder in his home in that moment that Soul made a sound. His eyes were bright blue and quite possibly the largest pair of eyes on a child Soul had ever seen. He was a little gangly with a crop of dark hair. Soul would have estimated him to be seven or eight.

The boy folded his thin arms and straightened his knobby knees. He wrinkled his small nose. "Who are you?" he asked suspiciously.

"I'm Soul, I'm friends with Kid, he told me to come up and someone would be able to show me a place to sleep?"

"Soul's a weird name." The boy stated. His eyebrows shot up in response and he felt a stab of annoyance mixed with amusement towards this child.

"Yeah, yeah I guess it is." He ran a hand through his hair, rumpling it lazily. "What's your name?"

"Jeremy. Do you like cars?" the boy asked suddenly. Soul had to grit his teeth a little, he just really wanted to sleep.

"Yeah I do. Do you?" Jeremy nodded fervently, seeming incredibly pleased he had asked.

"Yeah and motorcycles!" He held up the toy one he had been clutching for emphasis. "I'm gonna be a motorcycle driver when I grow up. My Dad used to have one. He let me ride it before he went away." Soul inwardly cringed, certain this boys father didn't just go away. "One day I'll see one in real life again-" He lisped some of his words in a fashion Soul was sure would make any girl gush. Jeremy continued to ramble about motorcycles and Soul was struck with a brilliant idea.

"I own a motorcycle Jeremy." He immediately fell silent, his already large eyes going as large as saucers, his mouth hanging open a little. "If you take me to a room where I can sleep, I'll bring my motorcycle here and take you for a ride."

"When will you do that? Soon as you wake up?" he asked suspiciously. Soul sighed and frowned.

"No, I have a friend who is very sick that's here. I can't leave here until she gets better. But as soon as she does I promise I'll do it."

"Pinky swear?" The boys small arm shot out, hand at the ready for a pinky swear, his expression was all seriousness. Soul moved closer and crouched to Jeremy's level. They locked pinkies and he nodded sternly.

The instant they unlocked pinkies Jeremy grabbed Soul's hand, dragging him down the hall and through the door he had darted out of minutes before.

Children began popping up everywhere the further they moved into the house. Soul tried to keep track of the path they took but it was just too many twists and turns to know. He was certain there must be an easier path but Jeremy insisted on going this way and shouting at every kid they passed about Soul and his motorcycle.

Finally, they passed the kitchen and Soul glimpsed Patti handing a little girl a bowl of some sort of food. He was grateful for it as he had begun to doubt Jeremy had a destination in mind. She straightened when she spotted Soul being dragged behind Jeremy and called out on instinct.

"Stop!" Jeremy halted, recognizing Patti as the one commanding him. He turned to face her and she marched towards them with a stern expression. "Where are you two going?" she demanded. Jeremy took a deep breath before speaking in one long sentence.

"I'' -" She held up a hand to silence him and he went quiet.

"Ohhh, sounds fun!" Patti chirped with a grin. "But I think I can take it from here, I'll show Soul to a room."

Jeremy's grip on Soul's hand tightened. "I still get to ride your motorcycle don't I?" Soul nodded down at him.

"Of course, little man." With a bright smile, he released Soul's hand and rushed away, toy motorcycle still clutched tightly.

Patti watched Jeremy run off then turned to her houseguest with a smile. "He's a funny kid, sorry if he dragged you around all over." Soul chuckled good naturedly.

"I don't think I ever realized truly how big this place is until he ran me around it. I don't think he was showing me to a bed anytime soon either." Patti grinned.

"I'm not surprised. I'll show you one here now." Soul nodded and followed her skipping form to a room.

It was one of the dorms she and Kid had made up for some of the kids. This one was empty currently though. A fair-sized room with twelve beds, six along each wall. Soul sat on the first one he saw, his aching body felt immediately better. Patti told him she would make sure to wake him at the first mention from Kid. He laid back and closed his eyes, sleep took him.

* * *

><p>He jerked awake sharply. For a moment he was alarmed, not sure where he was or what had woken him so abruptly. With the curtains drawn the room was black as pitch only adding to his disorientation. He snapped upright only to collide with something hard.<p>

"Fuck." A familiar voice cursed. Blunt and in a reasonable tone of voice, not the way someone who had just bashed their head would usually curse. Soul hissed his own stream of profanities, raising from the bed more tentatively this time. He rubbed his head with a frown as the face that the voice was attached to swam up out of the darkness.

Kid's wide amber eyes blinked, a hand clutching his head. "What are you doing?" Soul snarled. "What bloody time is it?"

"I was coming to wake you. I wanted to show you something. Its three thirty." Soul started and began climbing out of bed, his chest tight.

"Maka?"

"No." Kid deadpanned. Soul began climbing back into bed.

"Then I don't care."

With a sigh Kid reached and grabbed the blanket Soul was pulling over his shoulder and tugged sharply. Soul groaned as he rolled out from under it and sat up. "Can't it wait?"

"No." And so he turned and left the room. With another discontented moan Soul followed.

All the children were in bed, Patti had sent them off ages ago. Without their presence the house seemed eerily quiet. Soul treaded his way through the empty, shadowed halls silently. Only just catching glimpses of Kid ahead of him walking briskly towards their destination.

He led Soul to the elevator down into his lab. They rode down without speaking and Soul felt a distinct sort of tension rolling off of his friend. Whatever Kid wanted to show him couldn't be good.

Upon entering the lab he found it was mostly dark. The only light coming from a small table lamp at Kid's primary workstation, a television set on a shelf nearby and the ring of computer monitors on the desk. The door to the little room where Maka was being kept was open but the main lights appeared to be off in there as well. Patti was seated on one of the stools that peppered the lab, legs crossed underneath a flowery skirt. She was watching the television intently, a frown painted on her normally bubbly features.

"Whose watching Maka?" was the first thing that tumbled out of Soul's mouth. Whatever else was going on could be addressed in a moment. This was what concerned him most. Patti turned in her seat, only just realizing they were there.

"Me!" she chirped, the frown that had been there a moment before was gone. "Kid's got these nifty computers set up to monitor." She pointed to each in turn. "This is her blood pressure, if the numbers spike or drop I yell for Kid. This one is her pulse, if it spikes or drops I yell for Kid. This one is her temperature, if it spikes or drop I yell for Kid and finally her respiratory rate, if it spikes or drops-"

"You yell for Kid. I get it." Soul interrupted. He sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair. "How is she doing?"

"Well enough," Kid told him. "She's stable though occasionally her vitals spike. I still haven't been able to pinpoint the cause. It seems like it could be some sort of a subconscious distress but I don't know truth be told."

His amber eyes shone earnestly. "I swear to you Soul. I've been watching her. I need you to trust me." Kid gestured to the television. "Right now I have something to show you."

Soul turned his attention to the small flat screen Patti had been observing so intently when they entered the room. The image on the screen was paused, the picture that had been frozen appeared to be of Liz. Realization dawned upon him. This explained why Patti had been watching so intently.

"Patti and I have been recording the news reports so we can watch them at our leisure instead of having to drop everything for them." His expression was ominous. "This was recorded on the news four hours ago. We only just realized it was there a half an hour ago." Kid nodded to Patti and she quickly rewound the screen and hit play.

"_This is Channel 7 news reporter Elizabeth Thompson with breaking news." _Liz seemed to be calm on the surface though a person who knew her better, like her three friends currently watching, would see her eyes looked just a little wild beneath the apparent serene front. And her mouth would quirk ever so slightly at the corner, shielding a bubbling panic. Her words were just a little choppier than normal, despite the seemingly businesslike way she presented herself.

"_Earlier today the authorities at the 48__th__ street barricade were pushed back yet again. I am live at the scene where the police have just managed to regain control of the infected." _The camera followed as Liz jogged over to a policeman nearby. The man turned to her tiredly, a weary expression on his sweaty face. _"Officer, can you tell me just how the situation is here right now? Should people be worried or moving away from the infected zone? It seems to be creeping ever closer to occupied residences." _The Officer wiped his brow tiredly.

"That's Sully," Soul muttered in recognition. A small stab of guilt hit him at abandoning his brothers in arms for so long. He could not deny that being there for Maka was more important to him but it didn't change how he felt about his role as a policeman. He knew they would support him in this but it didn't matter. He wished he could split himself in two. Be with Maka and still help out at the barricade.

"_The barricade has been re-stabilized and as you can see we are still in the process of reinforcing the barrier itself." _Behind them other officers and volunteers were placing pieces of metal and heavy pieces of wood up against the wall and nailing them on. _"We have regained control at this time and will continue to maintain it. There is no cause to worry, just stay in your homes and ensure all precautionary measures are taken so in the event of an emergency you and your loved ones are prepared."_

"_Are you certain of this officer? Not even an hour ago you all but lost control did you not?" _

"_Now Miss, I understand why you might be worried but there is no reason to be whipping all these people up into a frenzy over something like-"_

There was an earth shattering crash followed by screams and curses. The camera shook, only just maintaining enough of a sight to see what was happening on an awkward angle. Behind them the barricade had exploded open in a shower of dust and rubble. Volunteers scrambled to get away from it while the police on the scene pulled their weapons out to hold at the ready.

Liz's lower half was still visible, the camera man appeared to be holding the camera loosely at his side, forgotten for a moment in the chaos. They could hear her give a sharp command and the camera view climbed dizzily to focus on her again.

"_It appears the barricade has been breached!" _Liz said quickly, trying to maintain some ounce of professionalism despite the chaos around them. Sully could be seen with his pistol drawn nearby. There were shadowed forms emerging from the hole in the barricade. Infected. Liz gaped and waved at the camera man signalling him to cut the feed.

They moved like lighting, like animals. The camera captured one leaping at Sully and him firing a few rounds into them before they could reach them. The person turned animal dropping like a stone in the road. Another leapt on an unknown volunteers back, snapping his neck with a swift, easy movement. _"Turn it off! Turn it off!" _Liz snarled. The camera angle dropped though the feed didn't cut.

"_Run!" _Sully's shout rang out. Liz didn't hesitate, the leggy lower half of her in view running as soon as the command was shouted. The camera man followed, the angle jostling madly as they went.

Suddenly everything stopped, the equipment had been dropped and apparently forgotten. A crack in the screen, only a poor view of the dilapidated sidewalk in sight. _"Stop! No! Please!" _Liz's voice shouted, the rest of her somewhere out of sight.

"_Get out of the way!" _A male voice shouted. This one was not Sully's though Soul recognized it without a doubt. He had grown up with it after all.

"Wes." He murmured, his face pale. Bloody snarls and a scuffle sounded.

"_Please! You have to help him!" _Liz keened, her voice dripping with panic and terror. Gunshots fired and then a shapeless form collapsed in front of the camera. Their face hidden from view.

"_Oh God…Oh God…" _a voice sobbed as the feed was promptly cut.

The room was deadly quiet. Only the sounds of machines beeping away in the background kept it from complete silence. Soul's mind raced. What had happened? What as happening _now? _This had been on air, what, four maybe five hours ago? Had the defence at the barricade been crushed? Were the infected running rampant in the city now? What about Liz? And he was almost positive Wes had been there amongst that chaos too.

His gaze lifted. Patti was shaking where she stood. How she had remained composed all this time he didn't know. Kid wore a steady expression. "Have you been able to contact Liz?" Soul asked. Patti shook her head.

"No." She swallowed. "But I am positive the voice at the end of the feed was hers. So according to the feed we know she was alive then."

"Why did it cut?"

"Channel 7 finally realized what was happening and cut it. The feed was too graphic is what we can only guess." Kid sighed.

A quiet fell over them again. Soul hands clenched and unclenched. Things were getting worse it seemed. He hoped to God Liz was alright and that he was wrong about Wes.

"I'm pretty sure Wes was there…there with Liz. I heard him shout." Kid and Patti exchanged a look. His stomach dropped.

"We thought we heard him too but we couldn't be sure. If you think you heard him though…it must have been." Kid murmured.

"I'll call him." Soul said, producing his phone from his pocket.

A beeping went off nearby, interrupting them. They all started even Kid though he recovered quickly, striding across the room to the wall where a small television was embedded with a microphone and a tiny keypad. He flicked a switch and the television lit up. It gave him a view of their driveway.

At this moment there appeared to be a sleek sports car parked there wildly as though they had slammed on the breaks and skidded into the lot. The car was a familiar one. Patti gasped a little and took a few steps closer to Kid. The door to the car flung open and a haggard looking Liz staggered out. She stumbled up closer to the camera looking lost and slightly panicked. She looked like she was shouting but they couldn't hear her.

Kid pressed a button and leaned into the mic. "Elizabeth." Her head whipped around zeroing in on where his voice was coming from. She rushed to the little screen that connected to the one they were viewing.

She pressed close, looking relieved and yet somehow still distressed. "Kid! Oh Kid!" She wept, hitting the necessary button that would carry her voice through the speaker to them. "Please, you have to let me in. Wes is with me and he's hurt. He needs help right away. The bleeding it-it won't stop."

* * *

><p><strong>Don't hate me. <strong>

**Cliffhangers just seem to come naturally to me. **

**Though you can rest easy that I won't make you wait long for the next chapter. Also you can take comfort that this is a much kinder cliffhanger than I had originally considered in leaving it...though I suppose those things are little to no comfort at all -.-**

**I solemnly swear that I will not make you all wait 2094720470740488933.82 years like last time. **

**As always I appreciate reviews! 3 :) You guys are a delight. **

**-Song**


	7. Chapter 7

**Woot! New chapter! What did I say, not that long of a wait at all!**_  
><em>

**I appreciate everyone bearing with me and still following despite the gaps between updates. The reviews and favorites mean a lot to me and are always part of my motivation to keep going :3**

**This one is a bit of a longer one! Please enjoy ^^**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN SOUL EATER**

* * *

><p><em><span>Seven:<span>_

Exiting the lab and heading out to the driveway was a blur. Though Soul was loathe to leave Maka alone in the lab, the three of them went together. Maka was stable after all, Wes and Liz were in need of immediate attention.

They dashed out to the car, Soul was at the forefront, overtaking the other two. Patti collided with her sister, bringing her into a bone crushing hug and laughing somewhat hysterically in her ear. Liz had acquired a cut on her brow during the nights events, it was bleeding heavily and Kid went to ask her if she needed treatment but she waved him off. "I'm fine, help Wes." She told him. Kid passed the reunited sisters with a nod as he jogged to catch up with Soul who was already pulling open the door to the car.

Soul sucked in a breath. Wes was slumped in the passenger's seat. His eyes were heavily lidded, his side dark and soaked through with blood. The stench of it was overpowering. He swallowed heavily at the sight of his brother, his heart pounding loudly in his ears. Leaning across, Soul unbuckled him and touched his brothers face lightly.

"Wes?" he croaked. "Wes can you hear me?"

His slack mouth quirked suddenly in a weak smile. "Soul? I got fucked up bad little bro," his voice was quiet, barely audible. He moaned softly. Head tossing away as his face twisted in pain.

Soul stood back to look at Kid and the two sisters. Kid stepped around him to make his own assessment of the damage having a medical background as well. Soul's crimson eyes met the two sisters sets of blue.

_Save him. _Liz's begged. _Can you? _Patti's doubted. Soul turned away from them with a frown and an inescapable pain in his heart. He and Kid went about lifting his sweat and blood soaked brother out of the car and into the house.

* * *

><p>They rushed into the lab, lifting him up onto an empty table as gently as they could manage while keeping their haste. Soul stood on one side of the table, Kid the other. Soul leaned forward and tore open the light jacket he had on. By removing it he revealed a white t-shirt underneath. It was soaked through and shredded on one side. "Fuck." He cursed. Kid took a step back with a disapproving frown.<p>

"Was he bitten?" Liz looked to Kid tearfully.

"No!" she cried in alarm. "I mean…I-I don't know but I didn't see everything, I-I suppose he could have been."

"Well…we're within the twelve hour mark I suppose." Kid sighed and stepped forward as Soul went about removing Wes' t-shirt.

"You can run tests once we've fixed him up." Soul snapped.

"One of them had a knife," Liz whispered. Still her and Patti clutched one another, Patti trying to comfort her visibly shaken sister.

"How did this happen?"

As the two men went to work on the mess that was Wes' side Liz detailed what they went through until the time they pulled into Kid and Patti's driveway.

"The infected breached the barricade, they had made a battering ram and broke it down. They were everywhere…" she frowned. Soul cursed upon examining the damage. It was going to take some finesse, finesse he didn't think he had. Maka was always good with patching up arteries when broken or nicked. She could zero in on the problem area and pinch it shut with her eyes closed.

"We ran…it was…horrible. They were like animals. They killed whoever they got their hands on…some of them a-a-" she shuddered. "Ate…" her voice trailed off in a whisper. "But some of them used weapons. It was the strangest thing. They seemed more conscious than I thought they would be."

Kid moved quickly, pulling out an oxygen mask from the plethora of supplies he kept in his lab. He placed it onto Wes as Soul sweated while sorting through his brothers mangled flesh.

"They attacked Paul, he couldn't run fast enough." Paul was her cameraman. "I didn't know what to do. Then Wes was there…from out of nowhere. I didn't even see him coming. He tried to pull the infected off of Paul but it was too late. He shot the infected. I wanted to stay…for Paul…to bring his body with us. But Wes stopped me." She sighed shakily.

Soul's hands shook as he tried to repair the damage. It had been so long since he'd had to make use of his skills as a paramedic. Kid talked softly nearby, encouraging him. "You're doing good. Keep it up. Remember I can take over if you need me to."

"We ran for the news van. But someone had siphoned all the gas…we had to continue on foot." She took a shaky breath. "We decided to make our way to Wes' apartment, it was closest. But when we got near enough we found the way as blocked off. The gangs were fighting pretty much right outside his apartment and with the police so occupied by the barricade they couldn't manage both."

Wes twitched in place, gasping a little. Soul's hands were steady despite the rest of him feeling on edge. Kid was tending to smaller wounds that seemed to pepper the elder Evan's body.

"We had to walk to my place. It was mostly uneventful…just far…and in the distance we could hear more fighting. I don't know if it was more gangs or infected still running loose. Wes mentioned we should head for the clinic. His phone was dead…I'd lost mine somewhere at the barricade…we wanted to warn them what was happening. Wes waited for me as I went upstairs to grab some things and change." She swallowed.

"On the way up the stairs…one of them was there, the infected. I thought I was done for. He had a knife." She swallowed visibly. "Then he jumped down almost a whole flight of stairs and landed like it was nothing…he threw me against the wall, put the knife to my throat and-and he _spoke _to me." She shuddered. Deciding not to detail what the infected had said. "Then Wes was there again." Her eyes shone as she spoke of him, "He pulled the infected off of me and they fell down the steps fighting. It was dark in the stairwell. I couldn't see…I could only hear them fighting…"

She closed her eyes. "A gunshot went off…then it was quiet. I went down the stairs and found Wes like-like this. He saved my life." She spoke softly. "Three times I would have been dead if he hadn't been there. He was still sort of conscious when I found him at the bottom of the steps…we managed to get to my car…I tried to take him to the clinic but the roads were blocked by cars and people…they were all fleeing the downtown core…I didn't want to waste time so I took the highway here."

Her gaze was locked on Soul and Kid as they worked. "Patti, please check Maka's vitals." Kid asked as he stepped in for Soul when he was struggling to handle a particularly difficult procedure. Liz's eyes widened.

"Maka is here?" Liz queried. Patti nodded.

"She's been here for about a day or so. She isn't…exactly conscious though."

* * *

><p>The door was ajar.<p>

The padlock she had managed to place on each door was missing from this one. It was on the floor nearby, a hairpin shoved in the open lock. The only explanation being that the mirror Maka had picked it. Her heart was pounding in her ears. She could just pass the door, continue on to the end of the hallway. Win.

But she couldn't just abandon this memory. If she left it now it would most certainly be destroyed. Who knew what the memory was of. It could be essential for all she knew.

A hesitant step brought her closer to the door. That burning need she had felt before anytime she looked at one of the doors in the hallway filled her. All the more powerful now with the door ever so open, tantalizing and within reach.

Maka sucked in a breath and pushed the door open as she stepped inside.

It was a strange moment, entering the doorway. She appeared to be outside, in a wide open space when only moments before she had been definitely inside the hallway. A gentle breeze tugged at her hair and clothes, skirting across her bare legs. She shielded her eyes from the sunlight and turned to look back the way she had come.

The door was there still. Just standing in the middle of the field. She would have assumed there was nothing on the opposite side of it had it been closed. Would have assumed it was just a doorway sitting out in the middle of nowhere. But it was still wide open as she had left it. The hallway she had left still just inside and visible.

She glanced away and started forward. This place, this field, was familiar. It was just outside the city she recalled. She climbed the grassy hill, a forest at her back. The day was perfect. Just hot enough but with the breeze to even it out.

As she reached the crest of the hill she heard voices. Over the top of the hill it sloped downwards to a beach and the ocean. Down on the beach was herself. And sitting with her was Soul. Her heart clenched tightly, painfully inside her chest. She knew where she was entirely now. Knew this memory.

The beach was practically deserted except for the two of them. They had driven out together with a picnic lunch. It was early in their relationship, they'd been dating for five months.

She had dressed in a modest, striped bikini with a nautical feel to it. Liz had picked it out and Maka had been uncomfortable at first but she had managed to grow accustomed to it. It was the only bikini she would wear. Though she took to wearing a slightly too big button up shirt, open overtop of it. Her skin was too sensitive to leave completely exposed to the sun like that. She didn't tan like Liz did, only burned. Soul would often tease her for it. He never burned, though that could be in part because she always insisted he wear sunscreen. After all it was-

"Bad for your skin!" her own voice floated towards her on the breeze, chastising him. It was certainly an odd experience. Soul's own low grumble followed. He was shirtless in a pair of dark swim trunks. A thin black band held back his unruly white hair. His favourite pair of ray ban shades shielding his eyes. He was taking the sunscreen from her reluctantly.

Her eyes watered a little. This memory was important. This was the day she realized she loved him.

She watched herself stand, stretching widely with her arms above her head as she stared out at the ocean lapping along the beach. Soul watched her the whole time. She had not thought she was conscious of this at the time the memory occurred but now she could see it. She listened to herself plead with him from a distance.

"Sooouul, come play in the water with me!" He grumbled some protests about how it wasn't 'cool' to play in the water at the beach. She put her hands on her hips in annoyance, her cheeks puffing out in a pout. His lip quirked a little at the corner and she huffed, turning her back on him to stride out to the water.

Wading out a little she turned back to him with a coy smile. "Are you sure you don't want to come play? The water is sooo nice." She splashed a little, swinging her arms as she kicked out, trying to spray him in the process. His brow lifted in amusement as she tried to draw him out.

She danced around playfully, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively when he started to laugh. Embarrassed as she was she continued, hoping she would succeed in getting him to come to the water too. She kicked out again, a wave sloshing forward at the same moment giving the water a little more distance this time. It splattered across his feet and legs and he made a funny, unmanly sort of noise at the cold.

For a moment she managed to hold back her giggles but it didn't last. They burst out of her and she held her sides as she began to back away a few steps. Soul stood up and even with his shades on she knew he was glaring at her. She continued to giggle as he made his way towards her. "Success!" She crowed in triumph, one of her fists pumping the air. Only then she realized he wasn't coming to play.

She squealed and went to run away as he darted towards her in the water. He had to lift his legs in an awkward fashion to chase her properly through the waves and her laughter only grew from that. He gained on her quickly, her ability to run impeded by her fit of giggles. He caught her, wrapping his arms around her waist as he hauled her up and swung her around, water skimming her toes as he lifted her and she spun. She tried to wriggle out of his grasp but he held her tightly.

Their wrestling didn't last long. Somehow she managed to twist herself around to face him, his arms wrapped around her lower back, hers around his neck. They stood still in the shallows, both dripping from their roughhousing. She reached up to touch his cheek. His dark glasses had beads of water strewn across them as she pulled them away.

"I want to see your eyes," she told him quietly. His own hand reached up to pull them away too, taking them off and letting them hang in his hand limply at his side. Red eyes met her green and her heart stuttered a little for a moment. She had not been able to describe the emotion he made her feel at first but as he bent his head a little to meet her lips she knew what it was. _I love him. _She had thought as their mouths gently moved against one another's, his teeth nipping at her bottom lip playfully.

And though she knew it in that moment. She hadn't been ready to say it just yet. That had come later.

A dark, out of place chuckle came from nearby. Her brow puckered in confusion for a moment, she had been so wrapped up in reliving this memory that she had forgotten what was happening or why she had stepped inside in the first place. She turned, searching for the source of the sound.

The copy was standing nearby. A sick grin on her face. _"Awee, such a sweet moment. I bet its incredibly dear to you isn't it?" _she took a step closer to the two down in the water.

"Stay away," Maka warned.

"_You know, it was just precious watching you watch them. You were like an open book, all your emotions laid bare. I think it will be fun to watch how you feel when I destroy this memory." _She cocked her head._ "Or perhaps, since you won't remember anymore, you won't feel anything at all." _

She started down the hill at a run. Maka gave chase, her heart thundering like a drum inside of her. She rushed forward. "No!" she shouted, panic welling up and threatening to explode out of her. She yelled, "Get. Away."

Mirror Maka was suddenly thrown back, violently. It was as if she had struck a wall, the copy soared past her striking the earth with a thud. Like a wounded animal she snarled at her and scrambled up, looking distinctly frazzled. With a venomous glare she turned and darted back in the direction of the doorway.

With a final glance back at the memory still unfolding behind her she followed. Noticing how the air around the two down on the beach seemed to shimmer strangely now. As though a shield had been put up around them. Realization dawned on her. This was the second time now she had stopped Mirror Maka with a thought. She was in control here, it was her mind. She didn't have to mess around like this anymore.

The door exiting the memory slammed shut in her face, with a frustrated growl she threw it open. She was fed up. She wanted out, wanted to wake up. This place was a nightmare and she was finished with it.

She bounded into the hallway, kicking the door shut behind her. She could see Mirror Maka ahead of her, running for all she was worth towards the end of the hall. With a snap of her fingers the door was relocked. With a glance metal walls slammed down in front of them. That would hold her back.

The endless hallway suddenly didn't seem so endless anymore.

* * *

><p>Wes was stable. He was sleeping in a bed Kid and Patti had made up for him. With relief Soul had moved to Maka's room once more to check on her. Liz had visited her briefly but seemed more concerned with sitting at Wes' bedside at this time.<p>

She was pale as ever against the white sheets. Her eyes were leaking the strange black fluid again. He reached for the cloth he had been using to clean her and dabbed at her eyes, wiping her cheeks clean gently. She shuddered, her brow puckering suddenly. She looked unhappy, like something was upsetting her. With a frown he touched her face gently, trying to be soothing. After a few moments she settled again.

He settled in beside her, clutching her hand tightly. He didn't plan on leaving her side for a little while yet. Patti's lips quirked from where she watched in the doorway, with a sigh she turned her back on the room and stepped back into Kid's lab.

She frowned at Kid, he was working carefully on the cure. Determined as he was it was increasingly difficult to formulate a cure without somebody to test it on. With a sigh Patti approached him. "You need a break. You can't go straight from helping to save Wes' life to finding a cure to the infection. Your brain probably isn't even working properly! The sun will be up soon."

Kid raised his eyes from his microscope with a frown. "I'm close. I know I am. If I could just work a little longer."

"Come to sleep." She plead. "Just for a little while. The kids will be up soon anyways."

For a moment they stood across from one another, eyes locked. She wanted to beg him but knew how important it was to him to complete his research. Maka's antibodies had been a major breakthrough and he had worked tirelessly since discovering what they could do. She would not beg him. She couldn't, not with what it meant to him.

His stool scraped across the tile as he pushed away from his desk. As he stood he began packing away his things. Patti tried to hide her smile to little success. She skipped over to help him tidy up, then wrapped her arm around his as they made their way out of the lab.

As they passed the room they had set up for Wes they spotted Liz bent over the side of his bed. She appeared to be talking quietly to his slumbering form. A part of Kid's heart clenched, hoping the mangled mess that had been Wes' side had not involved a bite. From what they could tell it hadn't but there was no way to know for sure. The only good thing was the prospect of getting to try his cure. Though it made him feel morbid to even think it.

He leaned in the doorway for a moment and Liz's head snapped up. "When he wakes up you have to ask him if he was bitten. If he doesn't know we will need to quarantine him soon. We only have a few hours left while he's safe." Liz nodded solemnly and bent her head once more as they ducked out of the room and continued on to their own bedroom upstairs.

Soul had listened to the majority of their exchange in the lab. When he heard them begin to leave and Patti's giggle he knew she had won their strand off. Which was good. Kid needed to sleep. He hadn't slept since Soul had arrived as far as he knew.

Maka stirred a little, groaning in her sleep. His pocket began to buzz loudly, phone vibrating against his leg. He pulled it out quickly,

_Black Star. _Was listed on the caller display. He flipped it open as he stood and stepped away from Maka's bed to answer.

"_Soul? Where the fuck are you?" _

"I'm at Kid and Patti's."

"_What the hell, I didn't think you would leave Maka. I came to check on you, we weren't sure if you knew about what was up. Some infected got loose man. Is Maka still in this building?"_

"Maka isn't there either. She's here."

"_How? She's under quarantine isn't she?" _Soul briefed his friend on the circumstances, right up to the point when Wes arrived and they had patch him up.

"_That's fucking crazy. I can't fucking believe it. Fucking Tsubaki is going to fucking be so fucking relieved." _Soul rolled his eyes at his friends incessant use of the word fuck. He chuckled, Black Star could always make him feel light hearted no matter the circumstance.

"I don't know if I've ever heard someone say fuck so many times in a sentence before." He could almost hear Black Star's grin.

"_Glad I could cheer you up. Its what I'm fucking here for." _

Soul leaned against the wall near the door, watching Maka sleep as Black Star rambled on, on the other end of the line. _"Hey Soul,"_ He started a little at the ambulance drivers sudden use of his name. _"She'll wake up man. Maka's tough shit." _He sighed a little, the egomaniacal little git wasn't as oblivious as he always seemed. _"For a girl anyways. Of course, she isn't as tough as me, after all how could any woman be as tough as the GREAT BLACK ST-"_

The room went black. Soul cursed a little, interrupting Black Star's tirade. _"What is it? Soul?" _

"The power went out." He tried to peer through the pitch black of the room. "I think."

"_Shit, I wonder why. Kid has that place hooked up like some kind of bunker doesn't he?"_

"I thought so too." His mouth was dry as he tried to move through the dark to Maka's side. "Man, I gotta let you go. Something isn't right and we gotta do something about the power. All the machines monitoring her and Wes aren't working like this."

"_Alright man, text me to let me know shit's okay." _

He disconnected the call. For a moment he ran his hands over Maka to make sure she was okay. What he was looking for he didn't know exactly. Perhaps just verifying she was still there, that she hadn't disappeared the moment she left his sight.

"Kid?" Soul called into the dark as he shuffled awkwardly to the doorway and into the lab. Some emergency lights were on out in the main room. The red light they gave off cast an eerie glow and he cursed himself for watching so many horror movies. His mind was already racing to places he didn't appreciate it going.

He closed the door to Maka's room softly. For some reason he felt now was the time to be quiet. Though why was beyond him. It was only him and his friends in the house after all. His heart fluttered annoyingly. He was just being stupid, he told himself this as he moved towards the stairs. The emergency exit sign was a bright beacon, guiding him along.

Then, as if to confirm the fears he thought were so foolish, a scream pierced the quiet. Someone above him in the main house was screaming. Soul broke into a run.

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><p>She was gaining. Mirror Maka was pounding her way down the hall just ahead of her. She could see the end of the hallway. It was in sight, within her reach. But the other was too far ahead.<p>

The carpeted floor began to warp beneath her feet. She stumbled, just barely catching herself. She leapt over a ripple of the floor, vaulting her away down the hall. Built up energy burst out of her in the wave, smoothing the rumbling carpet and allowing her to continue on. The copy glanced back, looking enraged that the warping floor hadn't stopped her. Maka realized she was the one who had caused it and was alarmed the copy had such power here too.

Filled with fury Maka jumped, glancing at the floor beneath the copies feet. The carpet began to raise like dark tendrils, like some kind of creature of the deep it reached for her catching at her ankles and trying to pull her back.

With a smile she watched the other girl slow, her feral eyes wide with panic. She snarled as she tore at the tendrils but they slipped through her fingers like so much smoke. At a near stop now Maka was able to overtake her. She wanted to shout for her success as she darted past but was too focused to even allow that.

This would be the end, she was sure of it. The world around her became thick the closer she got to the door. She felt as though she was trying to run her way through syrup, the very air tearing and pulling at her.

Just as suddenly as the air had turned thick Mirror Maka was there. How she had broken out of her bonds was beyond her. The strength she held was upsetting.

She twisted, tripping the copy before she could pass. She fell hard at her feet. A hand wrapped around her ankle tightly. With grit teeth she kicked backward, her heel smashing into the copies face. Maka was nearly knocked off her feet as her own nose seemed to feel the impact as well. The bone shattering feeling seemed very real indeed.

Her hands flew to her face as she felt the blood begin to pour. By breaking the copies nose she had somehow succeeded in breaking her own.

Despite causing herself pain she had removed the copies grasp on her as she had intended. She twirled, a hand flying up. The copy threw herself forward only to strike a wall as she had in Maka's memory prior. She flew backward, landing heavily on the carpet.

Panting, adrenaline still coursing through her, she stood with her back to the door for a moment. Her chest heaving, she managed a question.

"Why?" The Mirror Maka lifted herself shakily, not bothering to try and staunch the flow of blood running down her face. The hallway began to shake, far off down the hall in the opposite direction from which they had come, it appeared to be crumbling away. The copy cocked her head with a twisted grin. She didn't need to elaborate, the other knew what she meant.

"_I'm still a part of you. I always will be. Winning won't make me go away. It'll just put me in the backseat, so to speak." _

A wind tore down the hallway, stronger than any she had known. The crumbling hallway spiralled into it, debris mingling with the wind. The copy started to laugh, high pitched and with complete abandon. The wind whipped around her, the debris cutting at her. Maka's own skin stung, she could not stay any longer or she might be swallowed up by the sudden tempest too.

Whirling back to the final doorway she whipped it open and tumbled through.

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><p>Maka's eyes snapped open to a room black as pitch and as far as she could tell, empty of any presence besides her own<p>

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><p><strong>Yaaaayyy! Another chapter finished! Will be working tirelessly to get the next one up. I am on a roll with Infection right now it seems. Don't expect much else for a little while at least. Though I hope if I can bang out the rest of this lovely (while keeping it as quality as possible) I can get started on HSGS sequel without worry! <strong>

**Love all you followers copious amounts! **

**-Song :3**


	8. Chapter 8

__**Helloooooo! :) **

**Blah, so my life is kind of ridiculously busy but I want to reassure you guys I am always working on my writing! I super mega appreciate all the reviews and follows and favorites. I know I can't always reply but they mean the world to me and really motivate me to get another chapter out quick for you guys! **

__**So. I just wanted you all to know that I adore you. And I thank you. You all rock! :3**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN SOUL EATER  
><strong>

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><p><em><span>Eight<span>_

Gently, she touched her nose. She prodded it to make sure it wasn't damaged as she so vividly remembered it being in the hall. Though she knew the hallway hadn't been real the memory of it breaking felt like it had been. One she had confirmed it was in one piece and not bleeding she slowly sat up.

The room was dark, she didn't have the faintest idea where she was either. She swallowed, her throat was parched and sore. She couldn't recall much. Only that she had been in her apartment, holding Soul's hand under the door when she had felt blinding pain and the world had gone dark.

Slowly, she realized she was hooked up to a number of tubes and machinery. She hesitantly went about detaching herself from them. Upon freeing herself she pushed the blankets back. She slipped her legs over the side of the bed and onto the floor. She winced a little at the cold of the tile on her bare feet as she stood up. She was dressed in some sort of hospital gown, the air giving her a chill as she stepped away from the bed.

The room was quiet, deadly quiet. She didn't know how to comprehend her current situation. She cleared her throat, the noise shattering the silence. "Hello?" her voice was raspy from lack of use and the remnants of her sore throat.

Clumsily, she felt outwards. Her fingertips brushed the wall and she began to feel her way along the edge of the room. Searching for a light switch, a door knob, proper clothes. The usual things people wonder about when they wake up in a strange dark room in a hospital gown with nobody around.

The room was small. She had reached a door already. That or she had just been particularly close to it. Her hands touched doorknob and she twisted it to pull the door open.

Light spilled across her and into the room. Not a great deal of light in truth, but enough to illuminate the room she had found herself in. She turned, eyes adjusting to the change. She could now see the bed she had woken up in and the machines she had been attached to. There was a side table pushed against the wall and the bed, it had a lamp on it and a overnight bag. Her overnight bag to be specific.

Gratefully she moved to the beside and unzipped her pack. Rustling about inside it she discovered it contained a number of her things. Clothing was the main thing it contained. It also had her cell phone, a pair of shoes, her wallet, assorted toiletries and a book.

She fumbled her way out of the gown and dressed herself. A pair of skinny jeans, a plain black tank top, and a sky blue button up shirt of questionable cleanliness. She sniffed the shirt before determining it clean and donning it. She rolled up the sleeves and left the front unbuttoned.

She pocketed her cell phone and other necessities as she slipped on the flats that had been shoved into her pack too. Then made the brave decision to venture out of the little room and into the bigger one beyond.

The room outside was a lab. She began pulling her hair back into a lazy ponytail as she observed. Kid's lab would be her first guess, it being the only lab she would imagine finding herself in unless something more sinister were at work. She had never seen Kid's lab before.

She jumped at a racket from above. Muffled shouts and screams, banging and thuds. Something was happening above her and she didn't think she wanted to know what.

Her eyes scanned the poorly lit area, red emergency lights were her only source of light for the moment. First she laid eyes on a large elevator, approaching it she pressed the button to no avail. Nothing lit up. Perhaps the lack of power explained the emergency lights she supposed. It also had the potential to explain why she had found herself in a room black as pitch when she woke.

Spotting the emergency exit sign she headed towards the stairwell. Before she could reach it though she was halted by a sound. A strange rustling noise coming from nearby. The sound was reminiscent of somebody moving boxes or perhaps searching through them.

"Hello?" she called quietly again. Every part of her ached, she was sorely tempted to go back to the little room and sleep more. The remains of the infection she could only assume. She scratched at the bandage that covered her forearm, the wound was itchy.

A bizarre gurgling noise cut over the rustling noise and her stomach flopped uncomfortably inside her. Last time she had approached a strange sound she had ended up bitten. She grimaced and took a breath. She would investigate the noise anyways.

Stepping cautiously she approached the noise. It was coming from a darkened corner of the room, one not touched by the emergency lights. Removing her phone from her pocket she was pleased to find it fully charged. Ignoring the many missed calls and texts she switched on her flashlight app.

The light blared into the shadowy corner, revealing a child. They were tearing apart boxes of some sort of files. She hoped whatever they were they weren't important.

"Hey, what are you doing kid? Come away from there." She chastised, reaching a hand out.

The child's head snapped to the side, gazing at her with feral eyes. It's lip lifted in a snarl and she yelped unintentionally. She snatched her hand back and backed up quickly. "It's the little bitch," the child growled as they stood. Too filthy to determine if they were a boy or a girl.

Maka groaned inwardly at her luck. The child cocked its head. "You're the _one," _it crooned. "We could smell you. From so far away. It made us hungry. Made us angry."

Her heart thundered in her chest. "You could _ruin _us." With wide eyes she decided not to risk sticking around. She whirled and ran for the exit. Perhaps she could barricade the door to the stairwell. Trap the thing down here. She couldn't kill it. It was still a child.

She heard scrabbling on the floors behind her as the infected snarled and scampered after her. Maka had always been fast though, she easily outran it. Reaching the emergency exit, she flung open the door and darted inside, slamming it shut behind her.

A quick thud followed her slamming it shut as the infected threw itself against the door. It began howling and scratching wildly. She pushed down the bar to lock the door securely. Shaking a little, Maka started climbing the stairs towards the original sounds she had heard.

Behind her she could hear the child howling, stuck behind the door. An inhuman sound, she was unable to contain her shudder.

As she reached the top the sounds she had heard earlier became clearer. She paused six steps away from the top when the racket fell silent. With a swallow she pushed the door open and found herself stepping out into a hallway in Kid's home. "Soul?" She called out into the abrupt silence that had fallen. No answer. "Kid?" she tried this time. Still no answer.

"Where are you?" a voice called.

Without a thought she approached a nearby room where the voice seemed to be coming from. She entered, glancing around. When she could not find the source of the voice she turned back to the doorway.

"Found you."

She spun on heel to face a wide window and the shadowy outline of another person that had suddenly appeared. She couldn't believe she hadn't noticed them before. Her brow puckered in confusion. The voice that had called her name was feminine. It was one that seemed out of place to her here. As far as she had been aware that person had escaped the quarantine.

The curvy silhouette approached her, stepping into a slant of moonlight. Her face came into view and Maka had to hold her breath.

"_Blair_?" she wondered aloud. She had been under the impression Blair had made it out. Apparently she had been mistaken.

Once upon a time Blair had been a 'friend' of her fathers. Her father had had plenty of 'friends' but Blair had been different. Sure she was as shallow and horny as the majority of her fathers companions but she and Maka had formed a rare bond that Maka herself would have never predicted. When her father and Blair had called it quits Maka had remained in touch with her.

"It's you," Blair purred. Her voice sounded strained. Different. As though each word was a struggle to get out. She took another shuffling step towards her. Close enough to see her eyes now.

Yellow. Feral. Infected.

She staggered backward into an armchair. "Blair I thought you had gotten out." The older girl chuckled darkly. Still stalking towards her across the room.

"No, I did not. I got sick and weak. I thought I was going to die. Sometimes I think I did." She cocked her head. "Die, I mean." She clarified. "All alone behind the quarantine line I drifted away. But I woke up. Stronger and faster and better than before."

"How did you get here? Why are you here?"

"Myself and some companions came here. We escaped. We had to come here. There was no way we would sit back like some of the others and wait. Not when we _knew." _

Maka skirted around a chair, trying to put furniture between them. "Knew what?" She asked softly.

"Knew where you were, nyah." She chuckled, tossing her brilliantly purple locks over her shoulder. "We could smell you. You smell…wrong. But strangely tempting. Can't leave you alive. You're a danger to us all."

She leapt over the coffee table and onto the armchair Maka had put between them. Her agility was astounding. Cocking her head she sniffed the air like an animal. "Blair, please…" Maka murmured as she backed away. "You know me." The other girl spat.

"I know only after the sickness. I only know I want your blood in my teeth. Dirty blood. I'm gonna drink it all away."

She vaulted over the armchair colliding into Maka like a sack of bricks. They fell back hard, Maka bashing her elbow off of a bookcase as she went. She gasped in pain but was too focused on keeping Blair back to do anything about it. Blair was so _strong_. Uncannily so. Maka could hardly keep her back. She couldn't last this way.

"Please Blair. Its me, Maka." She plead. Her ability to hold her back receded. The purple headed girl gripped her wrists, pinning her sharply. The back of her head smacked painfully against the hardwood floor. Blair leaned in close, yellow eyes shining with anticipation. Her tongue dragged across her cheek, digging in as it went. Maka grimaced, preparing for the worst.

The weight on top of her lifted suddenly. Blair, taken unawares, had been pulled off of her and tossed back forcefully. There was a crash as she slammed into one of the many bookcases in the room, shelves cracked. The shelf shook violently and then came toppling down onto her, burying her in a mountain of books and splintered wood.

Blair went still underneath the shelf, apparently unconscious from the collision and subsequent fall.

Maka went to pull herself up, shaken up after such an encounter. But she was stopped when she felt herself suddenly dragged up into her rescuers embrace.

She went very still for a moment. Not immediately realizing who it was. It did not take long for her to sink into the familiarity of it though. His own natural scent enveloped her, comforting. She could hear him breathing heavily where his head was buried in the crook of her neck. Like he had just run a marathon or was in the midst of a panic attack. Gooseflesh prickled her skin where his breath feathered across it and the tip of his nose brushed her.

His heart was thundering. He was shaking a little too. She lowered herself from the half raised position she had been in. Lifting her arms to wrap around him in turn instead of awkwardly remaining in place.

They said nothing for a few quiet moments in time. Just remained locked and in place on the hardwood floor of one of Kid's rooms.

"You're okay." He managed gruffly after the suspended silence. A question or a statement, she couldn't tell which, perhaps both. She nodded against him, eyes wide as she gazed over his shoulder.

He held her tighter after she nodded. As if he was afraid she would disappear when he let her go. A shadow moved strangely through the doorway. Twisting and undulating not as a shadow should. Her hands slid across his back to grip his arms. "Soul," she whispered. He said nothing in response so she shook his arms a little. "Soul. I think there's another one." She said more urgently. He released her and whipped around. "Look out!" She screamed as it came bounding out of the darkness to leap at them, snarling and with teeth bared.

This one was a man. Upon hitting Soul and crushing him into the floor he immediately began to scramble past him. He reached for Maka, howling like a beast as he did. "You're mine! Abomination!"

Maka scrabbled backwards, kicking off the floor as she tried to drag herself away. The infected made his way overtop of Soul, grabbing at her. His hand caught her foot, fingertips digging in deep enough to bruise. She slammed her heel down on his other hand. He shouted with rage and released her for a moment only to be pulled back as Blair had been.

Soul tossed him across the room with an adrenaline fuelled strength. He went flying into a coffee table, cracking it in two as he hit it. He did not take long to recover though, rushing them again. Rising quickly Maka dashed for the fireplace, she pulled the poker from it and whirled around to brandish it in the mans direction.

He completely disregarded the weapon and charged anyways. Blinded by rage.

Maka grimaced and flipped the poker around, so its sharp end was where she gripped instead. Cocking it back she swung forward, its heavy metal handle colliding with the man's brow. His eyes rolled back in his head as his face went blank and he crumpled in a heap on the floor.

Panting heavily, Maka lowered her arms and dropped the poker. It struck the ground with a clatter. With a weary hand she wiped her brow. Part of her hoping she hadn't just killed that man and only knocked him out. He was infected but he was still a person. She'd had to kill the old woman in her apartment and she didn't relish the thought of having killed someone again.

Their eyes met from where they stood in the room. The question that hung between them was obvious enough. Why had the infected practically ignored Soul and gone for her? And why had he called her an 'abomination'? These questions were accompanied for Maka by ones that had occurred to her during her conversation with Blair and the brief interaction with the infected child in the lab.

Noise from the hallway made Maka scramble for the fire poker once more. She held it at the ready as Soul went to her side. They both tensed for a moment when the doorway was filled with the light of a flashlight, the figure brandishing it invisible to them behind the blaring light.

"Maka?" A disbelieving voice said first as they shone the light in her eyes, making her squint. They recovered from their disbelief quickly enough though. "It seems you found the source of the noise Soul." Soul nodded in place beside her and her eyes adjusted in the light just enough to realize the flashlight holder was Kid. "Are you well Maka?" he asked crisply. She nodded dumbly. "Good, we'd best hurry to get the back up generator going then."

Together they dragged Blair and the mystery infected man to another room where they tied them up and gagged them. Maka told them of the child in the basement too. Kid sighed heavily when she mentioned it had been tearing up some sort of files. He could only hope they weren't important information. They would have to deal with the child in the lab afterwards.

Upon locking the door to the room they had tied the infected up in, Kid turned to his companions. He had orders already in mind.

"Soul, I need you to go back to the others and stand guard. Fill them in on what's going on and watch out for any other infected. I have a feeling these weren't the last." Soul grimaced, his mouth hanging open, clearly ready to protest, but Kid just spoke over him.

"Maka, why don't you come with me to start up the generator?" She nodded in agreement immediately and Soul was forced to keep his disagreement to himself. Stuffing his hands in his pockets he took a flashlight from Kid and trudged away from them towards the others.

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><p>Soul grumbled to himself as he flicked on the flashlight and travelled down Kid's dark halls towards the room he had left the others in. When the black out had occurred, nobody had been prepared for it. Not that the house had been particularly bright in the first place but one doesn't realize how dark it can be until all the lights go out.<p>

The first attack came while Soul had been making his way out of the lab. He had heard the screaming and taken off at a run. The screaming had been from a child. Had Soul been any slower he might not have made it in time but thankfully he did.

Backed into a corner, the child had been screaming at the infected that was prowling its way closer to them, chuckling to themselves as they went. Soul arrived in time to cut off the infected's path but a fight had inevitably ensued. He had struck the infected and promptly overcome them. A woman, stronger than she would have been but still weak enough that Soul had overpowered her and knocked her out. He had then scooped the child up into his arms and made his way away from the scene of their confrontation.

The child had been weeping noisily and Soul didn't have the patience to try and calm them down. Thankfully they had not had to wander far before running into Patti. She had looked thoroughly dishevelled but had still taken the child from Soul's arms and promptly guided them through the house to where they had gathered the others. Patti had been looking for the little one Soul had found after doing a head count and finding them gone.

Kid was tending a wound on his arm, he had been injured fighting and infected man. Not bitten or scratched but sliced open by a knife they had been carrying. Liz and Wes were barricaded in the small room Wes had been hooked up in, Liz carrying a gun Kid had given her, a pistol, for safety.

The room they had selected was a wide one with no windows and only two doorways in and out. A small gymnasium Kid had built ages ago though rarely used himself. Sometimes he and the guys would play basketball in there when the weather wasn't nice enough. Maka had used to join ages ago but she hated it and usually complained the whole time. She only came because Soul asked her to.

Making sure the doorways were secured they had settled in. Kid discussing their need to get the generator back up and running with Soul and Soul insisting they go and retrieve Maka from the lab. Patti spent her time trying to soothe the children. The infected that had made their way into the house were at the doors, banging away and trying to get in.

They had howled and thrown themselves repeatedly against the doorways causing them to rattle loudly when suddenly, they had stopped. Things were silent for a little while before they decided to check things. The infected had left dents and gouged out marks in the doors, bits of metal and drywall littering the hallway. But there was no sign of them anymore. They had abandoned their targets abruptly, something else had drawn their attention.

Standing in the hallway they had advised Patti to lock them in as they investigated. She had argued with them but Kid had won out their argument this time in the end. After all, she was the best with the kids.

As they had slowly made their way down the hall they heard a sudden commotion. More inhuman howls and the sound of a scuffle. Soul had dashed ahead at the sound of a feminine cry. Kid had skirted around another way to check on Liz and Wes.

No words could describe the mounting panic he had felt when he had encountered Maka under attack. His most recent images of her weak and in bed unconscious. An anger like none he had known overcame him and he only just barely registered it was Blair that was attacking her as he hefted her up and tossed her across the room like a doll.

He felt more than a little irritated that Kid had separated them already after just being reunited. That Maka had agreed so readily to go with Kid annoyed him too. Was she still angry with him? Even after all that?

Reaching the gymnasium doors he knocked like they had agreed to and called out for Patti. She opened the door a crack to let him slip in and then proceeded to barricade it again. He brought her up to speed on what had occurred outside the room during he and Kid's investigation.

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><p>"How long was I asleep?" Maka asked quietly as they made their way down the hall to the north end of the house. The back up generator was in a small building just outside the main house.<p>

"Almost two days." Kid calmly detailed all that had happened while she slept. He saved the information about her antibodies for last though.

"You could be the key to creating a cure to the infection."

"M-my blood?" He nodded, turning a corner and coming up on the doorway they were heading for.

"Yes, so to speak. You developed a strange immunity I've never seen before. I would like to run some tests on you when we clear up this mess, with your permission of course."

Maka nodded dumbly, feeling a little overwhelmed. "Of course! Anything to help."

Kid paused at the door for a moment, turning to look at her. "Soul wouldn't have left your side at all had we not forced him to. He was determined to stay with you until you woke. I don't mean to interfere but I know Patti will kill me if I don't say something. I just hope you have considered forgiving him and making amends."

Apparently he did not mean it to become a conversation as he just opened the door and stepped outside without giving her a chance to respond.

They trailed across lawn, the sky was already growing lighter, losing its inky blackness. It would be morning soon enough. He led her to a shed that he had to pause to unlock once more. She pulled out her phone and made use of her flashlight app again. As Kid tinkered with the wires in the little shed Maka held up the light for him, standing behind him as he worked she mulled over what he had said.

"He really hung around that whole time?" Kid nodded as he worked. "I'm not mad at him anymore. I haven't been for awhile now I think. I know this is going to sound crazy but while I slept I…remembered why I love him." Kid straightened from where he had bent over the machinery. He flicked a switch and the whirring sound of electricity filled the quiet. He brushed off the front of his slacks.

"You should tell him that then." He told her simply, a small smile on his face. "Times like these we can't afford to not tell each other how we really feel." He stepped past her politely back out onto the lawn. "Viola!" he called out as Maka stepped outside too.

The lights of the manor were twinkling brightly once more. The sky already a few shades lighter than it had been.

"Time to go deal with our new infected friends." Kid murmured.

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><p><strong>Yaaaaayyyy! Another chapter complete :) and a longish one too! Another one on the way, I am writing it likely as you are reading this one. ^^ Okay, maybe not as you are reading this one but its possible! :P Its in the works. We'll leave it at that. <strong>

**Reviews are love. :) **

**-Song :3**


	9. Chapter 9

**Woooo! Hello! **

**This is a little more delayed than I would have liked but it is here nonetheless! I had a bout of writers block for this one so I feel like its a little choppy but I hope its just me being over paranoid. Regardless I hope you all enjoy! There's some good fluff in this one :3**_  
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**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN SOUL EATER**

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><p><em><span>Nine:<span>_

His gaze was a weight on her shoulder. She could feel him watching her as she worked to tidy up some of the mess the infected child had left in the lab.

Patti was upstairs feeding the healthy children breakfast. Some of the littlest ones had been put back to bed but there was a more than a handful of kids who wouldn't sleep now that they were up.

Kid was preparing for the infected they had captured to be moved downstairs to where he had secured the child. It turned out the child was a little girl. The room was fairly standard sized with a thick heavily barred door and a wide, flexi-glass window that covered the majority of one wall allowing them to view in on the rooms occupants and observe. There the child was tied up in place. Her behaviour varied, sometimes the kid would cry and weep like she was perfectly normal and just a scared little girl. The rest of the time she snarled and cursed like she was possessed, thrashing in her seat.

Soul stood somewhere behind her as she worked. She could see him in her minds eye. Hitched up against the wall with his hands stuffed in his pockets, acting like he's part of the furniture.

Bending down to pick up a loose scrap of paper Maka paused when Soul was suddenly there too, crouching down to help her. She paused, their eyes locking for a moment. His crimson gaze turned soft and her stomach turned over inside her. Her lips parted slightly. "Soul, I-"

"Soul!" Kid's voice crackled from over the PA, interrupting her. "I need your help moving them. They are giving me some trouble, can you come up here?"

He looked torn, his reluctance to go help Kid clear. Maka's lip quirked in a smile. "Go, help him. We can talk after. I'm not going anywhere." With a sigh he nodded and straightened, shuffling over to the elevator with a grimace.

Maka finished stuffing the shredded paper into the garbage bag and stood to tie it closed, as she was dragging it across the room to where the other already filled bag was the elevator beeped and the doors slid open.

Soul and Kid emerged, the infected man bound between them as they attempted to frog march him to the room where the child was tied to the chair. The moment the doors opened though their plan went horribly wrong. The man seemed to catch sight of Maka, or caught a whiff of her, either one could have been the case. But in that moment that he realized her presence he lost himself even more so than he already had. He jerked out of the two men's grasp and barrelled his way headlong towards Maka, howling as he went.

Maka backed up with wide eyes, shocked by the sudden attack. Before the man could reach her Soul tackled him sidelong, crashing to the floor in a tangle of limbs. Maka blew out a held breath in alarm as Kid went and helped Soul wrestle the infected man away and into the room.

They learned the second and third time around, restraining the others more tightly as they dragged them into the lab and to their respective rooms. Kid had decided with their current behaviour it would be best to separate them all rather than risk being overwhelmed by all of them if they went inside.

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><p>Maka watched Blair stalk back and forth in front of the flexi-glass of her room like a panther, her infected eyes flashing as she went. They were unable to restrain her like the others, she somehow managed to escape the ropes every time.<p>

All the adults had gathered around in the lab upon completing their necessary tasks after such a long night. Still, Maka and Soul had not been given a moment alone to talk and that was all either of them could think about.

Kid looked up from whatever he was working on as though just realizing everyone was there. "Can I help you?" he asked into the room.

"We wanted to see…you're going to test your cure, right?" Maka asked quietly. She was still a little unnerved that her blood was what might eliminate the infection. A part of her was feeling the pressure of it. If it didn't work…if her blood wasn't actually the cure…

"Oh, right." Kid confirmed. "I was just finishing up some of my notes." He straightened, closing his notebook and tossing the pen onto the desk. He folded his arms, a weighted silence falling over them.

"Its not ready." He murmured.

Jaws dropped across the room. Before anyone could speak he went on. "Its untested and ethically I don't think I can test it on them without running trials. It might not even be ready for human use."

"Can we really afford to wait?" Liz spoke up. "The disease is spreading. More than half the population of the city is infected. If we don't find a way to stop this it'll either spread to the mainland or they're going to blow us up!" Nobody spoke, a tension filling the room at her words. "What?" she snapped defensively. "I'm just saying what everyone else is thinking.

Neutralization had crossed everyone's minds. The army had been so pulled back from the city they worried if things got any further out of hand they might just opt eliminate the problem the easiest way possible. Especially with the lack of action on their part. The government had done next to nothing besides quarantine the city and then proceeded to hardly take care of the people trapped inside.

"They won't do that, they can't. It'd be impossible to cover up." Maka reassured best she could.

"They've covered up what hell this place is well enough-we've all seen the news reports." Maka grimaced at Soul's point.

Patti was surprisingly quiet throughout the conversation. She was watching Kid with a soft expression. As the group argued and debated over the ethical ramifications of testing the virus on humans before any other trials, she remained still. Finally though, after several minutes, she spoke.

"Quiet!" She snarled. Her darker side pushing into view. The group stopped bickering. "I don't care about the government, about the disease spreading, about being blown up. I care about how Kid is going to feel if he does these tests and something goes wrong." She smiled at him and bounded forward, throwing her arms around his neck. "I am behind whatever you decide to do, one hundred percent." She kissed his nose. "Forget what everyone else says. Its your decision and we won't force you."

They locked eyes, sharing a private moment. Kid looked as if he was searching for something beneath her sky blue depths. With a heavy sigh he pressed a kiss to the top of her head and stepped back.

"I'd like some time alone please, I need to think this over." They respected his request.

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><p>The Shinigami manor house was expansive. Even with all the children that occupied it and more than a handful of adults there was still plenty of space to spread out and be alone. Somehow during all their cleaning up, arguing and dealing with the infected invaders night had managed to fall once more.<p>

Upon the group exiting the lab they had mostly separated, Liz had gone to check on Wes, Soul tagging along to pay his brother a visit and Patti had gone to tend to the children. Maka decided to wander. It was a little disorienting, waking up from a fevered two day sleep. The loss of time was alarming, with that and dealing with fever induced hallucinations for days made it seem even longer.

Her wanderings throughout the manor had lead her to the second story. On the second floor she had wandered into one of two libraries Kid had collected over the years. Books were something the two had always bonded over. She hadn't realized what an extensive collection he truly had until she stumbled upon this though.

She meandered through the aisles, running her fingertips across the soft spines as she went, taking in the massive amount of titles. She didn't take them off the shelf though. The part of her that could gush and spend hours pulling novels from the shelf to pour over and devour was missing in that moment it seemed.

With a sigh she approached the ornate French doors that lead out onto the balcony. She opened the left one just a crack and then slipped outside.

The west side of the house that Maka currently found herself in was fortunate enough to have and impressive view of the city. The skyline was a lovely horizon but as she leaned over the marble railing she couldn't truly appreciate it for the thoughts in her head wouldn't allow it.

All she could think of was how the city was a mess and if it wasn't there would be triple the amount of lights shining out across the cityscape that would make it all the brighter. In addition her mind kept focusing on all the infected that were currently loose and all the patients she hadn't been able to save or treat while she had been in her unwell state.

"You shouldn't blame yourself for things that aren't your fault."

Soul came up beside her quietly, leaning backwards against the railing casually. Maka snorted derisively. "Since when did you become a mind reader?"

"When it comes to you, since always." He grinned. "I can tell when you're hosting a pity party in your head. You get this weird look on your face every time." He chuckled and made a ridiculous face in example.

She punched him in the arm which put an immediate halt to his laughter. "Shut up, my face does _not _look like that-"

"You didn't have to hit me for it!" She giggled.

"I always have to hit you." She clutched the cool marble rail and leaned backward with a small smile. "Its how we work." Her eyes gleamed. "You like it anyways you masochist."

He hung his head back, viewing the skyline upside down now as he spoke.

"If I'm a masochist, you're a sadist." She scoffed and he chuckled lowly as they fell into a companionable silence.

He had thought about this meeting with her for ages now. Went over what he would say a thousand times but now that he was here and she wasn't running away from him he couldn't bring himself to say them. All his carefully thought out words sounded cheesy and lame. Not at all like things a cool guy should say to the woman he loves.

She pulled herself forward, leaning on the rail again. Soul lifted his head to look at her in profile as she stared out at the city.

"Remember the first time I told you I loved you?" she whispered suddenly.

"Of course." He replied immediately. "How could I forget?"

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><p><em>Her fingertips traced patterns across the golden muscle of his back. Sunlight through the blinds came in gaps, alternating across them in shadow and light. His flesh was warm where the light touched it and cool in the shadow. Her hand dipped lower for a moment, tracing a circle along his lower back, brushing against the white down duvet that covered them both.<em>

_She felt goose bumps rise under her touch and a smile curved her lips. He shifted a little, making the mattress bounce slightly beneath them. _

"_Is it…a house?" He guessed over his shoulder. She stifled a giggle. _

"_No, how could it be a house?" she asked incredulously. He laughed lightly. _

"_I don't know, as soon as you start drawing I can't think anymore. Feels too nice." She felt his chuckle rumble across him and she couldn't help but grin and bury her face in his bare back for a moment, taking in his scent and letting his snowy white locks tickle her. _

_He rolled over to face her, a slant of light across his ruby eyes. She smiled, pulling the blanket up to her nose. Only her eyes peeked over the edge, they were little green crescent moons as they crinkled from her smile. His gaze was soft and sweet, she reached out and began tracing the contours of his face. Every nook, cranny and wrinkle. _

"_What are you doing?" he asked as she trailed a finger along his jaw line. _

"_Memorizing you," she whispered. He caught her wrist and brought it to his lips to place a firm kiss on its inside. She shivered, though not from cold._

_It was snowing outside. But it could have been the end of the world and neither of them would have known. They had spent the whole morning in bed and it had been a perfect morning so far. Time felt like it had all but stopped. They had dozed and made love off and on right until noon. _

_He leaned in to kiss her and she lowered the blanket to meet him. It was a soft kiss, gentle, sweet and chaste. They pulled away for a moment, faces inches apart as they each studied one another. He brushed a silky strand of her ashy blonde hair out of her face and cupped her cheek gently in his palm. _

_She took a moment to lean into it, closing her eyes and enjoying its warmth, then she gently lifted it away, pulling his forearm close enough to her to write on with her fingertips. _

_More gooseflesh rose on his arm and he watched her trace with a concentrated expression. Surprisingly, he managed to pay attention to her message this time. _

_I…L…O…V…E…Y…O…U… His heart stuttered in his chest. _

_Her green eyed gaze flicked up to meet his and he leaned in once more to kiss her, cupping her face between his hands. Upon pulling away he pressed his forehead to hers, eyes closed and smile on his lips. "I love you too." He whispered to her. _

_She could not help but grin into their next kiss. A perfect morning indeed._

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><p>"I never stopped." She breathed beside him. "I knew that I loved you long before then and didn't stop even while we were apart." She drew his arm towards her like she had then, pushing up his sleeve to trace across his flesh.<p>

Her hand shook a little, perhaps nervous he would reject her apology of words on skin. _I'…M…S…O…R…R…Y… _He caught her wrist and pressed his lips to it before whispering against it in response. "I'm sorry too."

Her gaze met his and she smiled a little. Soul grinned, lowering their arms to hold her hand lightly in the space between them. "What I don't get is, I'm an idiot, we both know that. So I'm prone to doing stupid things. You, on the other hand, are basically a genius. How can someone so smart be so dumb?"

She glared and swatted at him. He burst out laughing and managed to dodge.

He was not so lucky the second time she struck.

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><p>The lab is quiet. Empty but for him. The infected in their respective rooms are surprisingly quiet. He is seated at his desk, thinking. He's been thinking for awhile now. About what he's going to do. He knows he has the formula. He wants it to be right. Wants it to work immediately.<p>

The thought of trying it while its untested makes him sick though. What if it kills them? But then again, they are infected and if they don't find a cure they'll likely end up dead anyways.

He has three syringes on the desk. All prepped and ready to be injected.

One is a vaccination, to assist in creating the immunity people are seeking. The other is a cure, or what he hopes is a cure to put an end to the virus within the infected. The third…it's a strain of the virus itself.

The plan forming in his head hasn't been shared with anyone. Not even Patti, especially not Patti. She wouldn't let him go through with it. Not a chance.

With a trembling hand he picks up the vaccination. He toys with it in his hand, examining the liquid within. He flicks its side to make the air bubbles escape. The needle on its end is shining sharply in the artificial lighting of the lab. His heart is pounding loudly in his chest, beating noisily in his ears. He knows his heart rate is higher than it should be.

If this works…if it succeeds…he'll know he has at least one important thing right. Something that could help those that aren't infected as he feels that most of the hope left is for them.

He pushes up his sleeve, revealing the pale flesh underneath. He takes a small, disinfected cotton swab and cleans the crook of his arm. Its cool and makes him jump a little. He tosses it back on the table and picks up the syringe holding the vaccination again.

This is the only way, he tells himself. He can't in good conscience test it on somebody else or on an infected who has no real choice. Their minds are scrambled, they don't have the logic to make such a decision. He shakes himself a little to steady himself. He's going to test it. If it doesn't work and he becomes infected, well, then he can test his cure.

Puffing out a breath shakily he presses the needle to his flesh. He winces at the initial pinch as the metal enters him, enters his vein. His thumb presses down on the plunger and he swears he can feel the vaccine flowing into his blood stream though he knows that's not true. Its only his nerves and a hyper awareness his mind is creating in that moment to help cope.

Injecting himself with the vaccine was the easy part. What comes next, that is what's going to require nerves of steel. He picks up the syringe containing a strain of the virus. Its smaller, much smaller. He doesn't want to overdo the injection after all. He closes his eyes and breathes deeply, pressing the needle to the same place he just placed the vaccination. His wince as it enters his flesh is a little more prominent this time.

His thumb touches the plunger gingerly. Images of Patti flash across the backs of his eyelids as he blinks. His friends too, the children he'd been helping care for. This is all for them, he encourages himself. If he does this, if it works, it'll make all the difference. It'll save them all.

He presses the plunger down and the infection swims into his veins.

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><p><strong>AN: Its a little shorter than usual I know but I shouldn't have any more trouble with this one (I hope) I think I've worked through the block I had for now. I hope you all enjoyed. Thank you very much to everyone whose been reviewing and following and favourite-ing! **

**Reviews are love! 3**

**-Song :3**


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